Wildlife abounds in Hoonah, Alaska

By Greg Johnson

Visiting Hoonah, Alaska, is akin to experiencing a real-world version of Jurassic Park, where grizzly bears, bald eagles, whales and hordes of seagoing fish roam.

The Jurassic Park experience came into full view when we saw a bald eagle try to grab a king salmon from the mouth of a ferocious grizzly bear. We even saw humpback whales spouting while fishing for Dolly Varden and salmon from shore. I was amazed when I hooked into an acrobatic king salmon while a humpback whale spouted a stream of water behind it.

Hoonah is located 30 miles west of Juneau on Chichagof Island and Icy Strait. Its 900 residents represent the largest Tlingit village in Alaska. The tribe has lived in the Icy Strait area for thousands of years.

We learned about the tribe on several visits with our friends Adam and Esther Greenwald, both Tlingit elders in Hoonah. After a day of fishing and sightseeing, 

Adam would weave fascinating stories about Tlingit history and the abundant wildlife around Icy Strait. While still living, Adam and Esther were well known in the local      community. In fact, the Esther Greenwald Public Library is named after Esther. Visitors would often stop by the Greenwald home to pick raspberries from Adam’s huge garden, or to smoke salmon and halibut in his large smoker.

Adam was very gracious in guiding his small aluminum boat on Icy Strait waters in our pursuit of salmon and halibut. Our fishing adventures were successful in landing a 50-pound halibut and pursuing Icy Strait’s five species of salmon: sockeye, chum, pink, coho and king.

We often set aside fishing some days to cruise the north shore of Chichagof Island for views of grizzly bears, bald eagles, humpback whales, harbor seals, sea lions, porpoises and orca whales. Humpback whales and orcas are so common in Icy Strait waters that some tour companies guarantee whale sightings or your money back, according to the Alaska Travel Industry Association. Land-based bus tours can also take you on a wilderness tour of Chichagof Island, where the highest concentration of brown bears exists.

Hoonah was a small native American fishing village during   our first visit over 30 years ago. However, more tourists began arriving when cruise ships began visiting after Icy Strait Point opened in 2004. Today, the Hoonah port is home to a restored salmon cannery and museum featuring local arts and craft shops and restaurants. Thrill seekers can ride on reportedly the world’s highest zip line with a 1,300-foot vertical drop. You can also take a gondola ride to the top of the mountain to hike and sightsee.

For information on charter fishing and whale-watching tours in the Hoonah area, go to www.travelalaska.com.

Greg Johnson is a travel writer for The Messenger