Chatham Strait, Lake Eva, Peril Strait
The morning began with the National Geographic Sea Bird cruising through Chatham Strait along Chichagof Island. The sun was shining and the air was fresh with the faint smell of the salty sea. We passed by the quaint village of Tenakee Springs surrounded by the beautiful, snow-capped, rugged, green mountains. We peeked into myriad inlets, keeping our eyes peeled for wildlife.
During the morning we had a presentation on the life history of brown bears by Alberto, which emphasized our superb experience from the previous day. Upon entering Peril Strait we slowed to watch a couple of humpback whales. The whales had a remarkably regular pattern of about four minutes down before they would surface and breathe a number of times before diving again. They each showed unique black and white fluke designs that help identify individual humpbacks.
We left the whales to listen to William’s presentation on Alaska’s Russian history. Meanwhile, we cruised into Sitkoh Bay before we continued to our afternoon destination – Hanus Bay on Baranof Island.
The Forest Service trail leads through a nice patch of forest to Lake Eva. Three groups of hikers made the muddy three-mile round-trip. Others kayaked in the inner bay or ambled through the forest at a leisurely pace. Many wild flowers were in bloom along the forest edge. Salmon leapt into the air as they approached their natal stream, and the formidable falls ahead, at the apex of their life cycle. The tide was so high today that the long hikers got “stranded” in the inner bay and were “rescued” by Zodiac.
The kids had a special treat when Boatswain Rob and Second Mate Hana held Zodiac driving lessons. Later they were presented with “licenses” for their accomplishments.
A pleasant evening ensued with the final cocktail hour and recap, followed by Captain Coughlin’s Farewell Dinner. As we reflected on the amazing experiences of the past week, videos of the Galápagos Islands and Baja California shown in the lounge after dinner provided food for thought for future travel with Lindblad Expeditions.
