Pavlov Harbor and Basket Bay, Southeast Alaska
Sleeping in was not an option when an announcement alerted us to sightings of Dall’s porpoises before breakfast. These sleek and flashy creatures flashed past, first in one direction and then in another. Periodically several positioned themselves just below us to effortlessly weave back and forth while the bow wave of the ship pushed them along through the deep clear water of the Inside Passage.
Fingers of Chatham Strait incise the eastern coastline of Chichagof Island and create a series of indentations including Pavlov Harbor and Basket Bay, the two destinations for today’s explorations. Hikers strode off at different speeds to a tumbling waterfall that pelted the intertidal area below. Above and beyond the cascade, a rambling trail led to a marsh-trimmed lake backed by snow-capped peaks in the distance.
Zodiac cruisers and leisure hikers enjoyed the falls but also took advantage of a minus 3.6 tide that exposed myriad invertebrates usually concealed by the sea. Sea stars of all colors decorated the mud. Most, like the one in the photo, were five-pointed, but sunflower stars had numerous arms radiating in all directions. Painted anemones, streaked with irregular green and scarlet stripes on the outside, hid their delicate tentacles, waiting for the rising tide to cover them once again.
After watching a humpback whale before lunch, the National Geographic Sea Bird anchored at Basket Bay, where we planned to enter a hidden stream with kayaks and Zodiacs. This scenic spot is accessible only at very high tides like this afternoon’s. Kayakers climbed into their sturdy boats at the ship and then paddled along the shoreline, as in the photo, and into a narrow and wondrous channel beneath a rock arch that straddled the creek. Ferns and mosses clung to the steep banks on either side beneath towering spruces and hemlocks that reached for the sky. Only one Zodiac could fit into this secret place at a time, but by taking turns, everyone reached this special place.
We expected this experience to be the primary highlight of Basket Bay, but other exciting opportunities unfolded. A river otter rambled across the rocks just above the water’s edge. These members of the weasel family are typically found in lakes and rivers, but the quiet waterways of Southeast Alaska provide ideal habitat for them as well. On the second round of cruises, a handsome brown bear wandered out on the exposed intertidal region, and all three boats of onlookers managed to get unforgettable views.
It was announced that the evening recap would have a slightly different format, with a chance for the Olivia ladies to describe some of their own personal high points of the day. The second comment was “bear.” Immediately after that, someone yelled that there was a bear on the beach! The lounge emptied quickly while the ship repositioned to provide better looks at this timely individual. What a coincidence!
During dinner a humpback whale began to slap its tail within sight of the dining room. It treated us to a variety of surface activity before we continued on our way. We finally finished our meals and relaxed for the rest of the evening as darkness enveloped the landscape.
