Amalik Bay & the Bear Convention

July 6, 2015 | Captains bLOG | 0 comments | Author: Captain Rob

Own an island, the bears do!

We only spent a few hours in Kukak Bay before ghosting along the coast on the evening of the 3rd bound for Amialik Bay.  Transit was a weather decision.  SW 25 with 6’ seas was the forecast for Thursday the 4th.  Opted for smaller seas and longer day arriving around 11:30 PM.

Amialik offers protected waters as there are numerous little islands and shoals dotting the area.  Though it was quite safe with our electronic navigation gear such as electronic chart plotting, depth sounder, and radar I was too keyed up to sleep for over an hour after we’d set the anchor.

Arriving to a destination in the dark which required weaving between numerous dots on a moving electronic chart which are positive land/rocks while staying glued to three 19” screens providing data for a safe passage tends to make the adrenaline surge.  Everyone else slept right though the ride with the exception of when some rouge seas slammed us as I turned sideways to the waves for the bay entrance.  So happy I made the run when I did and did not wait one more day!

We explored every day.  Enchanting Bay and incredible fishing.  We catch fish everyday all day.  Everyone limits out everyday!  Average is 30 lb. plus with a couple of 87 lb. big boys getting hooked.  Not having the walk-in-freezer would not be a good thing with this much fresh fish coming onboard.

Bears are….?  How should I coin this…  numerous, are all over the place, dot the land, own their own islands, are undoubtedly having a major convention!  The survey crews almost daily have some type of meeting with the bear clan members.  At times they have to forgo data collection as a bear is sleeping right where they need to work.  Bears are even found on the smallest little knobs of an island!  Needless to say on land we all carried shotguns and bear pepper spray.

One island has the neatest geodes on one beach only.   We spent hours collecting.  Shay has two collections.  One, his best for himself and a second one to share with his friends!

The geography of the land is rocky with nunerous water falls cascading into the bay it seems in every direction you view.  Wouldn’t want to hike though most of this terrain, too dense.  You could be standing next to a bear and never even know it!

The only drawback  to our time here has been the rain or drizzle that never seems to stop.  It doesn’t keep you from doing things outside, you just dress for it.

Need to close, I’m the designated fillet master.  It is too painful to watch the novices fillet as they are a mite slow.  I don’t want to brag but I do have talents, maybe not American Idol talents, but I can sure fillet fish!

Enjoy your week. Rob & Star