Misty Fjords National Monument
Welcome to Southeast Alaska! Last night at bedtime we left behind beautiful British Columbia, and entered U.S. waters again. Alaska welcomed us with weather typical of temperate rainforest: it rained, or perhaps it was just very heavy, cool mist.
As we turned into Rudyerd Bay at about 6 AM, three energetic little Dall’s porpoises splashed and swam at the ship’s bow. Steep hillsides were covered by spruce and hemlock, and bits of cloud clung to the trees. Glaciers had left behind U-shaped valleys and rounded mountains. Scenery was just stunning in Punchbowl Cove. High mountaintops were covered in snow, and there was even some snow down at waters’ edge. It is early spring here, and on smooth, very steep rock walls, countless thin waterfalls spill meltwater. New spring leaves are just starting to emerge; on a steep cliff, bright yellow skunk cabbages are sprouting from a narrow, wet ledge. On another steep hill, near a clump of alder trees that are still winter bare, a black bear grazed on tender new shoots.
We spent the rest of the morning exploring by kayak and Zodiac. Moments after we left the ship, a small flying object buzzed 6 feet over our Zodiac. It took a moment to register: that was a rufous hummingbird!!! The bright orange life vests must have attracted his attention, because he zipped over our Zodiac 5 more times! What a truly magical, wonderful surprise! There were many waterfalls, and also landslide scars where trees had slid down steep rock walls. We saw and heard the magical, mournful cry of common loons. Tiny seabirds called, marbled murrelets whistled quietly, and dove on our approach. Robins foraged in mudflats – plenty of worms there! Harbor seals surfaced now and then, a river otter ran on shore, and a handsome pair of common mergansers walked on shore, lifting bright orange feet high with each step.
At the inlet’s end, at the mouth of a small river, dozens of tree trunks of long-dead trees lay in the shallows. We poked our way between them in the Zodiac, admiring the curving shapes of the weathered tree trunks. It was an outdoor sculpture garden. We went to the base of a waterfall spilling off an enormous rock cliff. We looked up, and listened: a delicate, wide waterfall spilled its veil of water from hundreds of feet above.
Following lunch, we left the magical fjords of Rudyerd Bay, and turned north into Behm Canal. Black and white Dall’s porpoises once again rode the bow wave, and we leaned over the rail to watch.
At recap, we had a special guest. Captain Coughlin used the electronic chart on the lounge monitors to show us how a ship can navigate the many narrows and strong currents of these Pacific Northwest waters. Early tomorrow morning, we will be transiting through Wrangell Narrows, a curving, shallow passage marked by numerous aids to navigation. At about 6 AM we will pass through a section of the channel nicknamed ‘Pinball Alley.’
Welcome to Southeast Alaska! Last night at bedtime we left behind beautiful British Columbia, and entered U.S. waters again. Alaska welcomed us with weather typical of temperate rainforest: it rained, or perhaps it was just very heavy, cool mist.
As we turned into Rudyerd Bay at about 6 AM, three energetic little Dall’s porpoises splashed and swam at the ship’s bow. Steep hillsides were covered by spruce and hemlock, and bits of cloud clung to the trees. Glaciers had left behind U-shaped valleys and rounded mountains. Scenery was just stunning in Punchbowl Cove. High mountaintops were covered in snow, and there was even some snow down at waters’ edge. It is early spring here, and on smooth, very steep rock walls, countless thin waterfalls spill meltwater. New spring leaves are just starting to emerge; on a steep cliff, bright yellow skunk cabbages are sprouting from a narrow, wet ledge. On another steep hill, near a clump of alder trees that are still winter bare, a black bear grazed on tender new shoots.
We spent the rest of the morning exploring by kayak and Zodiac. Moments after we left the ship, a small flying object buzzed 6 feet over our Zodiac. It took a moment to register: that was a rufous hummingbird!!! The bright orange life vests must have attracted his attention, because he zipped over our Zodiac 5 more times! What a truly magical, wonderful surprise! There were many waterfalls, and also landslide scars where trees had slid down steep rock walls. We saw and heard the magical, mournful cry of common loons. Tiny seabirds called, marbled murrelets whistled quietly, and dove on our approach. Robins foraged in mudflats – plenty of worms there! Harbor seals surfaced now and then, a river otter ran on shore, and a handsome pair of common mergansers walked on shore, lifting bright orange feet high with each step.
At the inlet’s end, at the mouth of a small river, dozens of tree trunks of long-dead trees lay in the shallows. We poked our way between them in the Zodiac, admiring the curving shapes of the weathered tree trunks. It was an outdoor sculpture garden. We went to the base of a waterfall spilling off an enormous rock cliff. We looked up, and listened: a delicate, wide waterfall spilled its veil of water from hundreds of feet above.
Following lunch, we left the magical fjords of Rudyerd Bay, and turned north into Behm Canal. Black and white Dall’s porpoises once again rode the bow wave, and we leaned over the rail to watch.
At recap, we had a special guest. Captain Coughlin used the electronic chart on the lounge monitors to show us how a ship can navigate the many narrows and strong currents of these Pacific Northwest waters. Early tomorrow morning, we will be transiting through Wrangell Narrows, a curving, shallow passage marked by numerous aids to navigation. At about 6 AM we will pass through a section of the channel nicknamed ‘Pinball Alley.’
