Forest at George Island
Icy Strait churns. With every change of tide, currents race to and fro, stirring the sea into a richly fertilized mixture, a dilute chowder that attracts all kinds of life. We spent the day steeped in fecundity.
In the morning we stopped at George Island. Though it faces the open ocean, the island has a protected beach where we landed. George Island is quiet today, but it once hummed with activity. During World War Two, a large gun was installed to guard Icy Strait from a Japanese attack. Walking over the island, we found scattered evidence of this brief but busy time. We saw the remains of boilers and barracks. We strolled overgrown roads. Some walked out the gun, a huge six-inch piece salvaged from a battleship. Others meandered in the forest, photographing colorful mushrooms or capturing patterns in seaweeds and cobblestones.
During lunch, we repositioned to the Inian Islands. These islands form a block in Icy Strait, so currents here are particularly impressive. We hopped into Zodiacs for a closer look. All sorts of marine mammals can be found in the Inians, but we were hoping for a charismatic couple: sea lions and sea otters. We found sea lions hauled out on the rocks in great droopy, writhing piles. Funny to think of “warming up” in the wind and the rain, but after hours or days fishing, sea lions find the weather on land is comparatively cozy. We also found a few ‘lions in the water. Juveniles in tight whiskery scrums seemed to dare each other to inch a little closer to our boats. Otters are usually found singly among the Inians. We saw them busily grooming or diving for clams and other seafood. Birds were also much in evidence. Auk family members, those underwater fliers, included Rhinoceros Auklets and colorful puffins.
In the late afternoon we motored to Gustavus, there to pick up interpreters in preparation for a day in Glacier Bay.
Rich in scenery, life and a sense of the wild, we found Icy Strait to be all of what one hopes for in Alaska.
