Chatham Strait/Lake Eva
What a tragedy to fade out: songs that don’t end, but just drift slowly into silence; fireworks with no finale; a burning out star with no supernova. What a crime to say goodbye slipping away into obscurity and memory, with no punctuated grandiose exit. No Sousa stinger.
Good thing today was one giant exclamation point at the end of an incredible journey.
It is hard to say which event could be considered the cake stealer. Starting the day with cooperatively feeding humpbacks is usually a chart-topper, leaving the rest of the day in its pallid shadow. However, on this day of all days, those humpbacks were followed up with three orcas, speeding along and bringing their heads out high above the waterline to take a peek at us.
Not to let the adrenaline fade or batteries recharge, Dall's porpoises quickly took the bow wake for a ride as we made way toward our destination. Once reached, Lake Eva offered either a beautiful hike, or placid water kayaking in a lagoon protected from the 10 knot winds chopping up the water on the way to and from the ship. A Bald Eagle preened and watched over the entrance to the hike, which happened to be the kayak lagoon. Good close up opportunities with this icon were later trumped by a stream-side brown bear pulling a salmon out of the stream and trotting off with it in its mouth.
Without risk of being contumacious, what else can we demand of a day? What marrow is left to suck? Well, let’s add a Tai Chi lesson from guest Alessandro Abate, Zodiac driving lessons for the kids, and a trip through Peril Strait, current ripping so hard we only make 3.5 knots. And let’s do it all under the true SE Alaskan skies of grey and drizzle.
We ate up a lot of sunshine credit this week, and this day of grey was due, but it only managed to further impress the awe of the greater strength of nature around us all.
Truly untamed, with this collection of species, such large beasts complimented with harsh living conditions all held together with constant saturation from the sky. An occipital feast for the lover of nature, and the proper way to exit this journey, a day without a chance to blink, for fear of missing any part of the grand finale.
