Alaska 2016 | Day 85 | Cosmos Cove to Red Bluff Bay

The day of many stops! First we went to Hidden Falls Hatchery, at the head of Kasnyku Bay. In the past I’ve seen a ton of bears here fishing in the drainage where the salmon return. We only saw one bear this time, and it was wandering around the hatchery grounds, but we did get to watch as the hatchery workers “spawn” the salmon.

This is what they do… First, they send the live fish onto a sorting/clubbing table. They kill the fish and separate them by gender. Then they cut the roe out of the female, send the eggs down a chute into a tub, and squirt the “fertilizer” out of the male and into the tub with the eggs. It’s bloody, funny, and kind of crude.

Killing and sorting the salmon

Eggs come down the chute and get fertilized in the tub 

From Hidden Falls we headed to Baranof Warm Springs. There was lots of dock space, so we tied up and walked up to Baranof Lake, then over to the natural hot springs. These hot springs are absolutely awesome—deep, natural pools with good places to sit, a roaring waterfall just a few feet away, and piping hot water. Too hot today, actually, since the outside temp was near 70 and the sun was shining.

Baranof Warm Springs aerial

Anna in the hot springs

Finally we headed down to Red Bluff Bay, one of my favorite anchorages in SE Alaska. It’s a striking setting, mountain peaks, waterfalls, and lots of bears. We explored the tidelands and creek by dinghy and spotted several bears, but none close to us. On the plus side, we had the bay all to ourselves.

Red Bluff Bay

36.16 nm today

2311.24 nm total