Inian Islands
Light in southeast Alaska has many forms. It is usually a segment of the gray scale, somewhere between the off white of puffy clouds to the foreboding dark gray storm clouds that sweep across the archipelago; the moisture helping to nourish the temperate rain forest and its denizens.
Today we witnessed the grand swath of light in many forms as we explored the region of Icy Straight. So named during the Vancouver Expedition for the huge amount of ice coming out of what is now Glacier Bay National Park. Wake up was in Idaho Inlet where walks and kayaking along the shores of the southern most point in Idaho Inlet showed us the intertidal life as well as a healthy salmon stream exploited by the local bear population. Half eaten carcasses of freshly strewn salmon bodies well beyond the highest reach of the tide were testimony to the recent presence of the great brown bear. The rain clouds came and went with the sun making a few appearances to play with our sense of comfort. Layers were shed and donned in reaction to the changes.
After lunch, the light show really got started. Zodiac cruises were offered and accepted for a trip to the Inian Islands to see how the local gangs of Northern sea lions fared in the ebbing tides. The full moon is near and when the pull of the moon is strong so are the tidal currents. The Inian Islands sit in the middle of a constriction in Icy Straight and further clog the waterway, causing large standing waves and eddies to form around the inlets and coves. The light show of dark horizon clouds and rain bands above gave way to streams of afternoon light that caused an almost flat rainbow to form with the backdrop of frolicking sea lions in the large waves. They would bodysurf to beat the band and give us the occasional glance or even chase.
The occasional sea otter was spotted as well. Even though they range all the way down the Pacific coast to Carmel, CA., these otters looked right at home amongst the tangled kelp.
Light in southeast Alaska has many forms. It is usually a segment of the gray scale, somewhere between the off white of puffy clouds to the foreboding dark gray storm clouds that sweep across the archipelago; the moisture helping to nourish the temperate rain forest and its denizens.
Today we witnessed the grand swath of light in many forms as we explored the region of Icy Straight. So named during the Vancouver Expedition for the huge amount of ice coming out of what is now Glacier Bay National Park. Wake up was in Idaho Inlet where walks and kayaking along the shores of the southern most point in Idaho Inlet showed us the intertidal life as well as a healthy salmon stream exploited by the local bear population. Half eaten carcasses of freshly strewn salmon bodies well beyond the highest reach of the tide were testimony to the recent presence of the great brown bear. The rain clouds came and went with the sun making a few appearances to play with our sense of comfort. Layers were shed and donned in reaction to the changes.
After lunch, the light show really got started. Zodiac cruises were offered and accepted for a trip to the Inian Islands to see how the local gangs of Northern sea lions fared in the ebbing tides. The full moon is near and when the pull of the moon is strong so are the tidal currents. The Inian Islands sit in the middle of a constriction in Icy Straight and further clog the waterway, causing large standing waves and eddies to form around the inlets and coves. The light show of dark horizon clouds and rain bands above gave way to streams of afternoon light that caused an almost flat rainbow to form with the backdrop of frolicking sea lions in the large waves. They would bodysurf to beat the band and give us the occasional glance or even chase.
The occasional sea otter was spotted as well. Even though they range all the way down the Pacific coast to Carmel, CA., these otters looked right at home amongst the tangled kelp.
