Hanus Bay and Lake Eva
On this last full day of our voyage we awoke to glassy calm seas and sparkling sunshine. Given such wonderful conditions, yet again, we leapt into the day and a morning full of activity. At Hanus Bay the two rounds of kayaking and walking in the woods gave everyone the opportunity to enjoy the peace and stillness of the shores and forest one more time. In the woods the beams of sunlight slanting through the giant tress illuminated the vivid green moss draping over everything lying on the forest floor like a soft blanket. The lushness invited us to venture further into the woods. We walked slowly and quietly looking at strange colored lichens, massive downed trees and squirrel middens with piles of spruce cones scattered sloppily around the base of the huge stately trees. A quiet little red squirrel gave us a glimpse of itself sitting on a log, its small being so knowledgeable of the workings of this forest. What went through its mind, we wondered, as it sat watching us, while we stared back at is in delight?
In the kayaks paddling around the shores of the lagoon, kayakers relaxed in the glittering green waters. The quiet along the shoreline experienced in these wonderful small boats was meltingly sweet. The sun shone down with a warmth that was tremendous in its power and strength. But eventually the peace and quiet was broken when people were given the opportunity of a polar bear swim. A handful of intrepid characters dove, jumped or gingerly lowered themselves from a Zodiac into the 45 degree water to swim the short distance to shore. The resulting screams, laughter and mirth echoed across the water.
The afternoon was spent cruising in the sunshine, and the wildlife did not disappoint us. Just after spotting the blow of a humpback whale right next to the ship, a small bear was seen on the opposite shore, and the ship turned to head in that direction. The small brown bear resting on the beach appeared to either be an abandoned cub or a cub whose mother was hopefully not too far behind in the woods. Size and scale in the vast grandness of Alaska is a hard thing to comprehend and grasp, so perhaps it was bigger than we realized, but it did seem very small to be on its own. However, it was not an option to go shore and stand next to it in order to see exactly how big it was. Further into Sitkoh Bay another two bears were spotted rambling along the beach, which disappeared into the forest behind them at our approach.
Sunbathing in the perfect peace out on deck or watching for more signs of wildlife were popular activities later in the day, and as evening approached we listened as storyteller Kim Heacox paint a portrait of life in his small Alaskan town, that filled us with joy and hope. The sun continued to shine.
