Herring Fishery and Whale Watching

Today was the opening of the 2010 Herring Sack Roe fishery. It is a local Event that everyone in town turns out to watch. There are dozens and dozens of boats from all over the State that come to participate. They catch the herring to then sell the roe (eggs) to the Japanese. Those locals without a boat will line the side of the road at all the view points to watch. Those of us with a boat like to go out and sit on the edge of the action and watch - watch the action as well as watch out for the boats coming right at us. If we are in the way, we WILL get swamped as the big boat goes rushing by to get to the herring ball. There are so many boats competing that it is combat fishing as boats bump into each other as they cut each other off at high speeds to get to the herring. If you, in your little boat, are in the way, well, you are just a casualty of war!

here are just five of the boats, waiting for the anouncement that

the fishery has opened......

some boats will hire spotter planes to tell them where

the herring are. there are a dozen or more planes flying

circles around in the sky......

heading off to the fishing grounds......


bringing in the net, hopefully full of fish......

the net is out.....

busy fishing......

the coast guard stands watch.....

looking for a spot......

this boat was boarded by the alaska state troopers......

the tenders will move to a boat with a catch- they will stick

a big hose into the water and suck up the herring and put

them on the tender......

you can see the vacuum hose inside the net.....

where there is fish, there are eagles.......

looking for dinner.......

they sit in the trees, eating their catch......

a couple more eagles.....

and just a few more......

after watching the boats, we decided to go whale watching.

we could see them in the distance, and there were a lot!....

there were about 15, most of them a mom with a baby.......

we were sititng there watching them when we realized

we were surrounded by them. we were staying our

legal 100 yards away, when one surfaced a little closer

then we expected. we went to back off right away, when

we felt one bump the boat! we think it was the baby, still

learning to keep away from boats. yep, just a little scary!!

Now we wait a day or two and then it will be our turn to go out and catch as many as we can to then use for bait later in the year. It is one of the highlights of the year, and we can't wait!! Be watching for those new pictures, unless I am too busy fishing to take any!!