Lake Eva and Chatham Strait
We began our day in Hanus Bay, along the shores of Peril Strait. We arrived at the head of the Lake Eva trail to a rising tide. Blue mussels and barnacles crunched underfoot as we traversed the shoreline toward the edge of the forest. The Lake Eva trail is a beautiful example of coastal temperate rain forest, with some of the first examples of old growth that we have seen yet. We spent many hours wandering amongst the Sitka spruce, western hemlock, and Sitka alder, and exploring the lush understory that is re-created every summer with the maturation of ferns, devil’s club, huckleberry, and countless other varieties of plant life.
The trail skirts a beautiful lagoon, which progressively filled as the tide continued to rise throughout the morning. Kayaking brought solace, quiet, and a bit of birdsong at the water’s edge, and we enjoyed seeing examples of intertidal life. We were on the north shore of Baranof Island, and evidence of brown bears was all around us. A few of our party even spotted Sitka black-tailed deer grazing on vegetation on the shore.
During lunch, we weighed anchor and began making our way around Catherine Island, into Chatham Strait. Low clouds and impending rain brought many of us into our bunks immediately following the meal, but shortly thereafter we were interrupted by the arrival of killer whales! The whales set a course toward shoreline, their imposing, black, triangular fins slicing the surface of the water. We followed at a distance, observing their ease and grace in the sea. Eventually, they turned into Kelp Bay and we saw many different behaviors exhibited, as a few individuals spy hopped, breached and tail slapped at the water’s surface. We enjoyed this intimate encounter with the killer whales, undoubtedly most of all when they turned their attentions to us and came close, seemingly inspecting our hull. After receiving much adoration from everyone aboard our ship, the animals moved deeper into the bay and we, in turn, set a course for Kasnyku Falls. On our way to the falls, Bette Lu gave us a deeper understanding of the importance of Pacific salmon to the people and wildlife of this mysterious coast. Just as the presentation was concluding, we arrived to the majestic cascade called Kasnyku Falls. A light rain was falling as we ventured out on deck to photograph the cataract and the verdant forest surrounding it.
In the late evening, the clouds persisted in their quest to bring much needed moisture to the forest, and we retired to the lounge for recap and conversation with our shipmates. Our younger travelers feasted on pizza while watching a movie, while everyone else adjourned to the dining room. It was a nice, relaxing end to a very exciting day. Southeast Alaska continues to deliver surprises to us, making it difficult to imagine that there is anything on which Mother Nature could improve!
