There are not many places where you can relax on your Adirondack chair outside your cosy cabin and be constantly wowed at the wildlife which calls Kachemak Bay home.
Pack your binoculars, spotting scope and camera and we know you will not be disappointed with what you will see behind the lens. At Between Beaches Alaska everyday is a new opportunity to observe this unique wildlife wonderland.
Book your stay with us on minus tides and take advantage of searching through the exposed kelp and rock piles to uncover our favourite - the elusive pacific octopus which are hiding from the eagles after being caught out by the extreme tidal ranges of Kachemak bay. Other tide pooling finds include the opalescent nudibranch, sea stars and sea cucumbers.
Sea otters clutching their pups to their bellies swim up and down the shores of Kachemak Bay and Kasitsna Bay, always a cuteness overload - especially when they raft up in the evening not far from our on site fishing float! With the densest fur on any animal on the planet these marine mammals are perfectly suited to the cooler Alaskan waters. View sea otters all summer long by taking out our single or double kayaks, paddle boards or watch them swim by from your camp fire, searching for their favourite food of clams and crabs and even octopus!
We are fortunate here in Kachemak Bay to be home to so many symbolic American Bald eagles. Watching them soar, swoop and fish are always some of our guests favourite memories which they take away with them. When the fisherman throw the scraps on to the beach its fair game for these giant scavengers and its always entertaining to watch the gulls and crows move out of the way pronto before the eagles come down with their talons to grab the leftovers. You may see lots of eagles here without the iconic white head and tail - these are the juveniles and it takes 5 years to develop in to the Bald Eagle we all recognise!
Although the black bear does not use the spit to roam around there are plenty of these magical animals roaming around the forests all around us. They frequently use the Jakolof Bay road to get around as a path of least resistance, and can often be spotted especially in the morning and evenings. It its not unusual to see bears along the hiking trails and we spotted this guy searching for food on the Otterbahn trail in Seldovia. the black bear is the smallest of all the North American bears and it's estimated that 100,000 off them live here in Alaska!
Humpback whales migrate at the beginning of the summer from Hawaii to feed on the rich feeding grounds of the cool Alaskan waters before heading back to the protected waters of Hawaii at the end of summer to breed. Each Summer we keep a look out around the Herring islands and past the bouys on the outside beach to catch a glimpse of these gentle giants.
Orca are also spotted on the outside beach especially when the salmon run - they can be seen feeding around Nubble point at the end of the spit and are easily identifiable, especially the bulls (male) with their 6ft tall dorsal fin.
This is just a snippet of what you could expect to see at your stay with us at Between Beaches Alaska, don't forget to take a look at our birding blog to check out what you may encounter while with us!
Thank you to Neil Pearson for the wonderful pictures - sea otter and eagle pictures were taken at Between Beaches and the bear was taken in Seldovia on the Otterbahn trail.