Inian Islands & Fox Creek
We woke up this morning to a clear sky, flat glassy water and rafts of dozens of sea otters around us. Humpback whales could be seen in every direction. Individual whales here, groups there, so many that we lost count. Some groups simultaneously dove raising their flukes in perfect synchrony. Glassy water, old growth forests and snow covered mountain ranges made the perfect background for this spectacle of nature.
Our first activity of the day was to explore Cross Sound. This is one of the few openings of the Inside Passage into the Gulf of Alaska, which means that is an area heavily transited by wildlife like whales, Steller’s sea lions, salmon and sea birds. The amount of life in this area is mind-blowing. One of the reasons why this place is so amazing is basically because there is enough food for everyone here.
Steller’s sea lions were seen fishing and tearing the salmon apart by violently shaking them on the surface. Opportunistic gulls hovered over the action to feed on the scraps left behind after the sea lion’s feast.
This afternoon we also had the chance to kayak around the Saw Islands. Harbor seals and sea otters were seen from our kayaks as innumerable humpback whales adorned the horizon with their distant blows. For a few moments, we saw a curious sea otter that allowed us to approach with our kayaks and get great looks at this funny and interesting creature.
We hiked on a beautiful destination called Fox Creek. Bear trails led us through the forest all the way to a salmon spawning stream and later into an Alaskan muskeg. The history of this forest is so fascinating that every time we walk through a bear trail or feel humbled by an elder Sitka spruce, we get a better perspective of the complexity and delicate balance that makes this one of the healthiest forests on the planet.
