Baranof Island’s Kelp Bay
Today, blessed with brilliant weather, every view seemed a vision to savor.
We awoke entering Baranof Island’s Kelp Bay. The water was so still that reflections revealed the stately trees and snowy caps of every mountain. Once ashore on Baranof, we found shooting stars blooming in profusion, and a precious few of this year’s first stinky chocolate lilies.
One radio call and we were soon back in Zodiacs. The kayakers had found something to share. They pointed out a magnificent brown bear, feeding just above the beach. The bear was very tolerant, and allowed all of us to get a close (but safe!) view. In spite of its predatory image, the bear was placidly munching on grass. Several times it looked up with a leafy mouthful before resuming its cowlike behavior.
After lunch, we cruised into Kusnyku Bay. The waterfall that tumbles into the bay is spectacular, deep and white as the snow that feeds it. It was hard to imagine that our view could have been improved until a young humpback surfaced, swimming around the tight and shallow bay.
Chatham Strait, a major waterway, was so calm that a stroll to Admiralty Island seemed a reasonable notion. However, we took the ship, and encountered more humpbacks near the island’s south end. Not surprisingly, we also found the Evolution. This is the research vessel belonging to the Alaska Whale Foundation. One of the foundation’s biologists came aboard the Sea Bird to talk about humpbacks and the work he is doing on whale cow - calf pairs.
After dinner we sailed out into Stephen’s Passage. Alaska’s long twilight was at its peak, and the sky reflected dappled pastel colors as evening rose around us.
Today, blessed with brilliant weather, every view seemed a vision to savor.
We awoke entering Baranof Island’s Kelp Bay. The water was so still that reflections revealed the stately trees and snowy caps of every mountain. Once ashore on Baranof, we found shooting stars blooming in profusion, and a precious few of this year’s first stinky chocolate lilies.
One radio call and we were soon back in Zodiacs. The kayakers had found something to share. They pointed out a magnificent brown bear, feeding just above the beach. The bear was very tolerant, and allowed all of us to get a close (but safe!) view. In spite of its predatory image, the bear was placidly munching on grass. Several times it looked up with a leafy mouthful before resuming its cowlike behavior.
After lunch, we cruised into Kusnyku Bay. The waterfall that tumbles into the bay is spectacular, deep and white as the snow that feeds it. It was hard to imagine that our view could have been improved until a young humpback surfaced, swimming around the tight and shallow bay.
Chatham Strait, a major waterway, was so calm that a stroll to Admiralty Island seemed a reasonable notion. However, we took the ship, and encountered more humpbacks near the island’s south end. Not surprisingly, we also found the Evolution. This is the research vessel belonging to the Alaska Whale Foundation. One of the foundation’s biologists came aboard the Sea Bird to talk about humpbacks and the work he is doing on whale cow - calf pairs.
After dinner we sailed out into Stephen’s Passage. Alaska’s long twilight was at its peak, and the sky reflected dappled pastel colors as evening rose around us.
