Red Bluff Bay and Lake Eva
Eager eyes scrutinized the flat expanse at the end of Red Bluff Bay in search of wildlife. Nothing larger than a common loon and numerous eagles caught our attention at first. Suddenly, someone spotted a brown bear just to starboard, much closer than most of us had been looking. It grazed briefly then wandered into the forest, seemingly unaware of our presence. The ship turned for a close-up look at a waterfall that cascaded from the steep, forested slopes before heading back into Chatham Strait.
Our morning of cruising was interrupted first by a colony of loafing Steller sea lions then by a humpback whale. We watched the whale for a short while then noticed that it created a circle of bubbles. The naturalists explained that this was a feeding strategy that we were very lucky to observe. The bubbles frighten and concentrate prey, so that the humpback can lunge up to the surface with an open mouth and capture its food. What an exciting sight!
The afternoon was set aside for kayaking and hiking at the Lake Eva trail on Baranof Island. Boaters paddled through the inner bay past chocolate lilies, paintbrushes, and buttercups that splashed color along the meadow margins. Hikers embarked into the lush temperate rainforest shown in the photo. Sitka spruce and western hemlock trees towered above the dense stands of yellow skunk cabbage and ferns. We picked our way past bear scat and devil’s club, examining banana slugs that roamed the pristine old-growth forest. The Sea Bird welcomed us back at the end of our day for a delicious dinner topped by mixed berry shortcake followed by a good night’s sleep.
Eager eyes scrutinized the flat expanse at the end of Red Bluff Bay in search of wildlife. Nothing larger than a common loon and numerous eagles caught our attention at first. Suddenly, someone spotted a brown bear just to starboard, much closer than most of us had been looking. It grazed briefly then wandered into the forest, seemingly unaware of our presence. The ship turned for a close-up look at a waterfall that cascaded from the steep, forested slopes before heading back into Chatham Strait.
Our morning of cruising was interrupted first by a colony of loafing Steller sea lions then by a humpback whale. We watched the whale for a short while then noticed that it created a circle of bubbles. The naturalists explained that this was a feeding strategy that we were very lucky to observe. The bubbles frighten and concentrate prey, so that the humpback can lunge up to the surface with an open mouth and capture its food. What an exciting sight!
The afternoon was set aside for kayaking and hiking at the Lake Eva trail on Baranof Island. Boaters paddled through the inner bay past chocolate lilies, paintbrushes, and buttercups that splashed color along the meadow margins. Hikers embarked into the lush temperate rainforest shown in the photo. Sitka spruce and western hemlock trees towered above the dense stands of yellow skunk cabbage and ferns. We picked our way past bear scat and devil’s club, examining banana slugs that roamed the pristine old-growth forest. The Sea Bird welcomed us back at the end of our day for a delicious dinner topped by mixed berry shortcake followed by a good night’s sleep.
