FORESTER ISLAND ADVENTURE

April 24, 2020

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Forester Island Adventure features a National Wildlife Refuge located by itself out in the Pacific Ocean approximately 90 miles west of Ketchikan, ALASKA. It’s a small Island about 1 mile wide and 5 miles long.

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“Here is another Island in Alaska that you may be interested in for your Blogg,” said my uncle.

Forester Island is a National Wildlife Refuge located by itself out in the Pacific Ocean approximately 90 miles west of Ketchikan, ALASKA. It’s a small Island about 1 mile wide and 5 miles long. During WWII, the US Army had a small detachment station on its highest elevation as a lookout for any Japanese activity. The islands shoreline is very rugged as you can see from the photos. It’s a refuge for birds primarily, other marine life make it their home too.

No roads, of course, and no human habitation. My uncle was assigned the task to spend three days on the island with a falcon specialist to collect a young of the year female Peregrine Falcon for a study the government was conducting. He didn’t overnight on the island, but commuted back and forth daily from Ketchikan via helicopter. Peregrine Falcons like to build their nest high up on open face cliff areas. In order to check the nest, you had to climb up there where they were at. This was his first and last experience at rock climbing. He observed 11 active pairs (adult Male and female) during the three days that they were out there. From what he was told, this was a very high population density of falcons for such a small area. The heavy density of Puffins (a marine bird) present on and around the island easily supported the food requirements for that many falcons.

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There were 400 or 500 Steller Sea Lions hauled out on the rocky west side of the island. The Sea Lion in the center was a 2000 pound male guarding the females and pups. My uncle was down there with them, of course, to shoot these photos. He said that when you got into the rookery, it was loud with all their bellowing, and the odor was very intense. Another surprise was how fast the male could move across the rock area coming at you when he decided that you had crossed his boundary.

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The third day they did manage to capture a young of the year female peregrine. What a beautiful bird!

This is a Bonaparte Gull newly hatched chicks with one to go yet.

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This is the east shoreline of Forester Island. You should be able to see several Puffins going airborne from the surface. The east side of the island was better protected from the open sea than on the west side, and this was the area that he observed most of the puffins.

Rugged shoreline on the open sea west side of island.

It appears that if a beach no matter how rugged, a Sea Lion will use it has a haul out. Look at the slope of rock the seals easily navigated!

Forester Island at a distance with the sun setting in the west. (A note of interest. Time of year this exercise took place was the latter part of June. Sun sets around midnight and sunrise around 2:30 AM. You can and do put in some pretty longs days this time of year in Alaska.

My uncle has many such amazing stories of biology research and adventures that his career took him upon throughout the years! I am very grateful for his photos, stories, and storytelling abilities. He is a GREAT inspiration to me! I hope he has inspired you as well!

Do you have a story to share of great inspiration from a travel? Where have you traveled that has etched itself on your soul? Leave me a message below regarding your cherished memories of a special travel destination!

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Inspirationally Yours,

Barbara

BIO: https://www.inspirationaltraveladventures.com/about-us/

ABOUT ME:

A 1993 graduate of Michigan State University, Barbara earned a BS in Social Science Pre-Law. She is a Business Manager/HR Director. Her passion is travel, discovering new places, experiences, cuisine, cultures while enjoying temperate climates. Barbara is a newly transitioning empty-nester who became a travel blogger. She’s a great photographer, talented writer, and has a great family to highlight in her high school/college athlete football sons.

WEBSITE: www.inspirationaltraveladventures.com

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