The smolt (baby salmon) released at Hidden Falls are imprinted with the small river there, so the salmon return to the hatchery when they are ready to spawn and die. During the busy season, spawning salmon are routed through a shed where the eggs and milt are removed and mixed in plastic buckets. The fertilized eggs are incubated until hatched and then allowed to grow until old enough to go to sea and the process is repeated. The day we were at the hatchery, workers processed about 8,000 salmon, removing millions of eggs. The salmon carcasses are sold, as are the immature eggs. The process was fascinating, and the hatchery benefits both commercial and sport fishermen.
After touring the hatchery, we did a little salmon fishing of our own from the skiffs. The coho salmon were just starting to run, but none of us caught any from the skiffs, although there was a lot of activity. The fish were just not biting. (Guess they all had spawning on their minds!) The fish did attract some eagles, and we enjoyed watching them soar overhead or perch in the trees.
Instead of fishing, two women in our group chose to do a "butt buster" hike up the Ell Cove ridge with Jeremy, and they had gorgeous views from the summit. The hike started at an unusual white sandy beach, nicknamed "Cancun beach" by the Mist Cove crew. Following their hike, one of the women took a short swim from the beach. She's braver than I am!
While we were fishing or hiking, a bear and her two cubs came out of the forest near where the Mist Cove was anchored. The crew and passengers who had stayed onboard hopped in a skiff and quietly motored near the bear family. From the safety of the skiff, they watched them for quite a while, and radioed the other skiffs to come in to see the action. By the time we got there, the three bears were moving back into the woods, quickly disappearing in the thick wilderness. It's no surprise that bears are common around the hatchery during the salmon run, but the hatchery workers have the right idea--there's plenty for everyone, man and bear alike.
While we were eating lunch, the Captain moved the Mist Cove to the Middle Arm of Kelp Bay. Two passengers went fly fishing with a guide, two others went kayaking with a guide, and the rest of us went halibut fishing or touring by skiff. The wind had picked up, and we didn't get a halibut, although I caught a rockfish The fly fishermen didn't catch anything either, but like us, they had a good time trying. The kayakers got caught downwind and had a difficult time paddling back to the ship. A skiff was sent out to retrieve them, but they stubbornly paddled back in, arriving proud of their accomplishment, but exhausted.
The Mist Cove moved to the picturesque South Arm of Kelp Bay before dinner. After another excellent meal, we gazed at the beautiful Alaska mountains in the early evening. The next day we were going stream fishing for salmon.
Day 5 - Mist Cove Alaska Cruse > > Salmon and Bears and Orca and Halibut > >
