Shaw Island, Elfin Cove, & Inian Pass
Through the night National Geographic Sea Lion traveled north by north-east through Chatham Strait and then headed northwest through Icy Strait. By early morning, and under a light drizzle, we reached the northern end of Chichagof Island as marbled murrelets zipped by low across the water. In Idaho Inlet, we took the Zodiacs ashore to Shaw Island where we split into two groups, both of which hiked to high points on the small island. We climbed over prop roots and under large logs of spruce and hemlock that had been thrown down by the wind. A raven parent atop its nest high in a tree communicated with its young chicks and then carried away what appeared to be a fecal sack from the nest.
Along the shoreline the details of sharp rocks came into focus with the rain. The rocks showed striations in various directions indicating that they’d been metamorphosed under great pressures. The tide was high and there were giant acorn barnacles scattered about the shingle. A river otter loped across the strand and went into the sea. Sitka black-tailed deer had heavily browsed the grass growing just above the high tide line and a pile of brown bear scat indicated that the animals were capable of swimming here.
In the afternoon we visited the tiny village of Elfin Cove with its numerous fishing boats, and friendly residents. An extensive boardwalk led us around the very picturesque village where we saw a visiting sculptor who carved a salmon out of a beautiful stump of spruce. The small museum was a popular stop as were the few shops selling gifts. One fishing crew in a small boat was readying to go out for king salmon. A river otter slid aboard a fishing boat moments after the vessel’s human occupant walked away and minutes later the man returned as the otter eyed him carefully and slid back into the water.
Our departure from Elfin Cove was delayed a tad as the anchor cable had an old hand-truck attached to it and required some careful removal. The discarded object had become quite the reef with tubeworms, sponges, and many other invertebrates growing on it. Bette Lu presented “Pacific Salmon Bear Forest”, a very interesting presentation about the remarkable lives, and various controversies, of salmon in Southeast Alaska.
In nearby Indian Pass we were treated to another fantastic humpback whale show with an adult swimming slowly immediately off the bow and showing its fluke often. This briefly interrupted our afternoon’s wine tasting and smoked fish nibbling session but it was well worth it. Not far from the whale were two other humpbacks, a few dozen Steller sea lions, and dozens of seabirds feeding in the area of a tidal rip. It had been another great day in Alaska.
Through the night National Geographic Sea Lion traveled north by north-east through Chatham Strait and then headed northwest through Icy Strait. By early morning, and under a light drizzle, we reached the northern end of Chichagof Island as marbled murrelets zipped by low across the water. In Idaho Inlet, we took the Zodiacs ashore to Shaw Island where we split into two groups, both of which hiked to high points on the small island. We climbed over prop roots and under large logs of spruce and hemlock that had been thrown down by the wind. A raven parent atop its nest high in a tree communicated with its young chicks and then carried away what appeared to be a fecal sack from the nest.
Along the shoreline the details of sharp rocks came into focus with the rain. The rocks showed striations in various directions indicating that they’d been metamorphosed under great pressures. The tide was high and there were giant acorn barnacles scattered about the shingle. A river otter loped across the strand and went into the sea. Sitka black-tailed deer had heavily browsed the grass growing just above the high tide line and a pile of brown bear scat indicated that the animals were capable of swimming here.
In the afternoon we visited the tiny village of Elfin Cove with its numerous fishing boats, and friendly residents. An extensive boardwalk led us around the very picturesque village where we saw a visiting sculptor who carved a salmon out of a beautiful stump of spruce. The small museum was a popular stop as were the few shops selling gifts. One fishing crew in a small boat was readying to go out for king salmon. A river otter slid aboard a fishing boat moments after the vessel’s human occupant walked away and minutes later the man returned as the otter eyed him carefully and slid back into the water.
Our departure from Elfin Cove was delayed a tad as the anchor cable had an old hand-truck attached to it and required some careful removal. The discarded object had become quite the reef with tubeworms, sponges, and many other invertebrates growing on it. Bette Lu presented “Pacific Salmon Bear Forest”, a very interesting presentation about the remarkable lives, and various controversies, of salmon in Southeast Alaska.
In nearby Indian Pass we were treated to another fantastic humpback whale show with an adult swimming slowly immediately off the bow and showing its fluke often. This briefly interrupted our afternoon’s wine tasting and smoked fish nibbling session but it was well worth it. Not far from the whale were two other humpbacks, a few dozen Steller sea lions, and dozens of seabirds feeding in the area of a tidal rip. It had been another great day in Alaska.
