Brown Polar Bears?
October 11, 2024
By Captain Harley Ethelbah
Baranof Island is an island in the northern Alexander Archipelago in the Alaska Panhandle, in Southeast Alaska. Baranof Island is home to around 8,000 people in the community of Sitka, Alaska, and has 617 miles of coastline. It is the fourth biggest island in Southeast Alaska and part of Tongass National Forest, the United States’ largest national forest. Baranof is one of my favorite islands due to the abundance of brown bears. I love showing travelers our Baranof bears! And Baranof brown bears are unique. Stay with me here, and I will tell you why!
Baranof is one of the ABC Islands, comprising Admiralty Island, Baranof Island, and Chichagof Island. These three islands are known to have the highest density of brown bears in North America—one bear per square mile.
Baranof Island is the most rugged of the region’s major islands, with peaks above 4000 feet.
The entire eastern shore of Baranof Island is washed by the waters of Chatham Strait, which, with its extensions, Lynn Canal and Taiya Inlet, is one of the world’s great fjords. Taiya Inlet is a fjord located in Southeast Alaska, on the mainland opposite Baranof Island. It’s part of Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve and is known for its stunning scenery, including glaciers, waterfalls, and dense rainforest. Sea otters, humpback whales, porpoises, and dolphins inhabit the area.
Baranof bears are unique with white rings around their necks or the tips of the ears. They are a result of interbreeding between brown bears and polar bears, likely during periods of glacial retreat.
These bears are impressive in size, making them some of the largest brown bears in the world. Their hybrid heritage likely contributes to their exceptional growth. These “brown polar bear” are not a separate species. It is a term used informally and is not a scientifically recognized classification. These bears are simply brown bears with a degree of polar bear ancestry.
Photo by First Mate Ryan Walker
The island’s size ranges from 9-mile-long Redoubt Lake, barely above sea level, to high alpine ponds only yards across. Many of the lakes are landlocked, but some are stocked with trout.
Photo by Roger Organ
Brown bears are one of the largest land predators in North America. Males can weigh up to 1,000 pounds, while females are typically smaller. Inland bears are typically smaller than coastal bears because they do not have all the wild salmon to fatten up on. Bears are opportunistic feeders and eat various foods, including fish, berries, nuts, insects, and even carrion.
Photo by Captain Harley Ethelbah
These bears above are my hot tub bears!
Doesn’t it look like they’re all sitting in the hot tub? We tend to name our bears that we continuously see.
This is Hidden Falls Hatchery, located in Kasnyku Bay…also known as the bear hatchery, as I call it.😀 It’s known for its significant contributions to the region’s salmon populations and fishery. The hatchery primarily focuses on producing and releasing chum salmon but also raises coho and Chinook salmon. While the hatchery is primarily a working facility, it also welcomes visitors. However, due to its popularity, reservations are now required for tours. This is a regular stop on our yacht cruises when the salmon are running.
There are no black bears on Baranof Island; Brown bears are already established and known to be aggressive competitors. This may have prevented black bears from successfully colonizing the island. During the last ice age, glaciers covered much of Baranof Island. This would have been inhospitable to black bears, potentially wiping out any existing populations.
Baranof Warm Springs is a community located at the head of Warm Springs Bay, at the outlet of Baranof Lake, on the Chatham Strait coast of Baranof Island, about 86 miles south-southwest of Juneau and 20 miles east of Sitka, Alaska. This is always a favorite stop for us aboard the M/V Northern Song! It is a small community of around 15 summer homes. There are nine separate hot springs with temperatures from lukewarm to 120 degrees F. Only one is developed in a natural state and is located right up against the white water of the Baranof River. The community built a public bathhouse at the waterfront to provide an option for visitors not wanting to bathe communally or make the 1/4 mile hike up the trail to the natural springs.
The lake is gorgeous, shaped like a horseshoe, and glacially-fed.
Baranof Warm Springs next to Baranof River
Public Bathhouse at Baranof Warm Springs
Come join us in August or the first part of September for an 8-10-passenger
Alaskan yacht cruise with bears, whales, glaciers, hot springs, and incredible food for that trip of a lifetime!
