Sitka's seventh cetacean celebration: experts discuss marine life at annual Whalefest.

• Author: Pilkington, Steve
• Position: Alaska This Month

While the autumn waters around Sitka teem with food and life, some special visitors are stopping over before they move on to find warmer tropical waters in the south. These visitors, humpback whales, are the stars of the 7th Annual Sitka Whalefest, and they in turn bring travelers anxious to see and learn about them.

From mid-September until mid-January, the waters around Baranof Island become a temporary stopover for humpback whales. Biologists believe the whales are building up food reserves before their migration. It is a perfect chance for marine biologists to teach and learn about these whales.

"It's really exciting," said Phyllis Hackett, director of the annual Sitka Whalefest. "Our main goal is education."

From Nov. 7-9, Sitka offers a host of marine mammal symposiums, singing and chances to view all the various marine life in the area, including killer whales, harbor seals, Steller sea lions, numerous sea birds and sea otters.

Much of Sitka's history is bound with its marine wildlife. Marine mammals were and are a large part of the Tlingit subsistence lifestyle, and interest in rich sea otter furs originally brought Russian traders to the area. Russia's settlement of Sitka was largely the result of the fur industry. Today, the humpback whales and other marine life draw thousands of tourists to the area while providing researchers with a perfect environment for study.

This year, an impressive lineup of speakers and marine biology educators will be taking part, including Steve Amstrup, Arctic biologist; Dr. Michael Castellini, marine biologist; and Craig Matkin, director of the North Gulf Oceanic Society. Speakers will discuss recent marine studies...