Fox Creek, Elfin Cove & Inian Islands
We woke up this morning to another beautiful day in Southeast Alaska. Sailing through the northern end of Chichagof Island, sea otters floated calmly over the flat calm waters. Dozens of these charismatic furry creatures, that were once on the brink of extinction, were seen before breakfast.
Fox Creek and the Shaw Islands were our first landings of the day. From the Shaw Islands we deployed our kayaks to circumnavigate the two islands. Humpback whales were seen in the distance, and the sound of their blows traveled through the air. Harbor seals and Steller’s sea lions surfaced in random places as we paddled our way.
Fox Creek, at Chichagof Island, offers an amazing place to explore the temperate rain forest. Home to a healthy population of coastal brown bears, this place has many bear trails which we use for hiking through this place, which is their home.
A salmon stream led us to a hidden waterfall, and from there we continued exploring. As we made our way up, we reached an area where the forest suddenly turned into a muskeg. Learning about forest succession, bear behavior and talking about the salmon’s life cycle, we enjoyed our expedition through the woods.
Elfin Cove was our next destination. This small fishermen’s town is as tiny as you may imagine. Instead of streets, there are boardwalks, and instead of cars, fishing boats adorn the painteresque harbor. We got to experience some of the local flavor of a small and remote community of Southeast Alaska.
Not too far from Elfin Cove, we cruised on our Zodiacs at Cross Sound. This is one of the few channels that connects the Inside Passage to the Gulf of Alaska. Steller’s sea lions chasing after fish, pelagic cormorants, sea otters and humpback whales were some of the animals we saw. An incredible abundance of life thrives in this place, due to its strong currents that stir the nutrients from the bottom of the fjord, and its proximity to the open Pacific Ocean.
After dinner we headed towards Point Adolphus, a place known for its abundance of humpback whales. The sun was still up and shining at nine o’clock at night and the calm waters reflected the majestic snow-capped mountains as we sailed, heading towards Glacier Bay.
We woke up this morning to another beautiful day in Southeast Alaska. Sailing through the northern end of Chichagof Island, sea otters floated calmly over the flat calm waters. Dozens of these charismatic furry creatures, that were once on the brink of extinction, were seen before breakfast.
Fox Creek and the Shaw Islands were our first landings of the day. From the Shaw Islands we deployed our kayaks to circumnavigate the two islands. Humpback whales were seen in the distance, and the sound of their blows traveled through the air. Harbor seals and Steller’s sea lions surfaced in random places as we paddled our way.
Fox Creek, at Chichagof Island, offers an amazing place to explore the temperate rain forest. Home to a healthy population of coastal brown bears, this place has many bear trails which we use for hiking through this place, which is their home.
A salmon stream led us to a hidden waterfall, and from there we continued exploring. As we made our way up, we reached an area where the forest suddenly turned into a muskeg. Learning about forest succession, bear behavior and talking about the salmon’s life cycle, we enjoyed our expedition through the woods.
Elfin Cove was our next destination. This small fishermen’s town is as tiny as you may imagine. Instead of streets, there are boardwalks, and instead of cars, fishing boats adorn the painteresque harbor. We got to experience some of the local flavor of a small and remote community of Southeast Alaska.
Not too far from Elfin Cove, we cruised on our Zodiacs at Cross Sound. This is one of the few channels that connects the Inside Passage to the Gulf of Alaska. Steller’s sea lions chasing after fish, pelagic cormorants, sea otters and humpback whales were some of the animals we saw. An incredible abundance of life thrives in this place, due to its strong currents that stir the nutrients from the bottom of the fjord, and its proximity to the open Pacific Ocean.
After dinner we headed towards Point Adolphus, a place known for its abundance of humpback whales. The sun was still up and shining at nine o’clock at night and the calm waters reflected the majestic snow-capped mountains as we sailed, heading towards Glacier Bay.
