This morning the Caledonian Star entered the Corcovado Gulf. As we cruised along toward Chiloe island, we had an unexpected surprise: a blue whale. This whale was nearly hunted to extinction during the mid 1900's. Although this area, due to the suitable feeding, is a good place to catch a glimpse of the blue whale, it is still a rare treat to view one. This sighting gave the guests on board a great opportunity to take some exceptional and worthwhile photographs. We stayed with the whale for a stretch, but then returned towards our original course and headed into the Chilean Inland Waterway towards Chiloe Island.

During our passage north in the morning and early afternoon, we had the opportunity to see 1000's of sooty shearwaters and diving petrels, a birdwatchers delight. The scenery that we encountered as we traveled was spectacular. Rolling hills covered with lush vegetation, some cultivated for farming, and others growing wild. Many of the guests commented that it reminded them of home in Northern England, or the Northwestern United States. Finally, we arrived at the port town of Castro. Looking from the deck of the Caledonian Star, the brightly colored houses of purples and reds stood out against the green hills. The most dramatic was the bright yellow church that stands at the top of the town. The town itself is full of little shops and a large open-air market where the Chileans show their indigenous wares, such as alpaca sweaters and lapis jewelry.

This evening we head even further north to the city of Puerto Montt, the northernmost city of the Chilean Inland Passage, where we will arrive early tomorrow morning.