Frederick Sound, Alaska

We enjoyed another full and rich day in sunny southeast Alaska. The excitement began early with an early morning call from the bridge, inviting us out on deck to watch a spectacular display of the aurora borealis. As the Sea Bird plied the waters of Icy Strait, we watched waves of light pulsing across the sky.

Later this morning, we made our way south through Chatham Strait towards Pond Island, which sits near the mouth to Kelp Bay. This small piece of land offers excellent hiking through forest and muskeg, ending at an active beaver pond. Several small satellite islets surround Pond Island, and we used kayaks and Zodiacs to explore the scenic shorelines. Most of us managed to both hike and explore from the water.

Taking advantage of the spectacular weather, the hotel crew served lunch on deck. It felt more like the tropics than the far north, and we thoroughly enjoyed it.

By the middle of the afternoon, we were in Frederick Sound. This is a favored foraging area for humpback whales. We came in search of these great creatures and we were not disappointed. Whatever direction we looked, there were whales. We were fortunate to connect with Dr. Fred Sharpe of the Alaska Whale Foundation doing his research. Fred and two of his associates came aboard and shared information about their important work and about the whales that we were watching.

Our day ended with an exploration of Eliza harbor, an intimate and scenic fjord jutting into the southern shore of Admiralty Island National Monument.