Hood Bay & Lake Eva
On our final day of this voyage, we awoke off of Admiralty Island with the ship surrounded by humpback whales. Scattered individuals were feeding, probably on krill, and flocks of Red-necked Phalaropes would swarm in after them to pick up the scraps. All up and down the coast, whales continually surfaced, and then lifted their flukes high as they headed back down for more food.
We then sailed into Hood Bay, and disappeared into the fog. We exited a few minutes later into the most beautiful light of the trip. Patchy bands of fog with brilliant sunshine made the evergreen trees pop out. The glassy water was filled with various jellyfish, as we sat and watched ducks and eagles. Perfect reflections of the trees on shore filled the water and made for a beautiful painting-like scene with the pulsing jellies.
In the afternoon, we completed our voyage by exploring the Lake Eva area. Leading the long hike, I was the first on the trail. There were no signs of boots in front of me, only massive brown bear tracks. Following a stream filled with pink salmon, the bears used the same trail as us for feeding on berries and fish.
Leading up to the lake, we passed some massive old growth trees. Some reaching over 200 feet, these giant trees receive the nutrients from the salmon, and thus are able to grow to massive proportions.
Standing above the waterfall watching the salmon jump allowed for reflection on the fantastic week we have had exploring southeast Alaska. Healthy forests, bears, sea lions, and whales, a glorious week for sure.
