Force of Nature

Force of Nature – Sitka’s Herring Run & the Humpback Whales

Visiting Sitka for my first herring run was an unforgettable experience. Each spring, the humpback whales return from their Hawaiian breeding grounds to feast on the nutrient-rich herring that gather to spawn along Alaska’s coast. Drawn by instinct, they seem to know when the fish are heavy with eggs, and they arrive in force—dozens of giants converging on Sitka Sound in a spectacle of power and precision.

From the awe-inspiring coordination of bubble-net feeding to the explosive energy of lunges, breaches, and tail lobs, it’s a scene that belongs on every nature lover’s bucket list. That first spring morning the air was crisp and I was bundled in my Mustang survival suit against the biting thirty-degree temperatures, I set out aboard a friend’s 19-foot Parker boat with my newly purchased Canon R5 ready to capture it all.

The ocean was alive with sound—whale blows, gulls calling, and the slap of waves against the hull. About fifteen humpbacks worked in unison, blowing rings of bubbles before rising in synchronized bursts through the silver schools. Then, when the group began to spread out, the water suddenly erupted. A single whale rocketed skyward, breaking through the surface as the sun caught every droplet cascading from its flukes. Behind it, the rugged mountains of the Tongass framed the moment—the Ridge on the South side of Readoubt Lake, just in front of the pyramids range - a raw, wild Alaska in perfect harmony.

It was in that instant that I understood why this time of year is often called the heartbeat of the coast—a season when sea and sky come alive in one powerful rhythm that defines Southeast Alaska.