Chatham Strait and Hanus Bay
It is now so close to the summer solstice that the terms ‘morning’ and ‘evening’ are rather ambiguous. Twilight occurs at 03:30 and 23:30. Perhaps it would be better to judge the passage of time by our meals. So . . . as we ate breakfast, southeast Alaska was serving up typical fare: scattered showers beneath gray clouds. The climate here is temperate rainforest, after all!
We cruised south in Chatham Strait along the shores of Chichagof and Baranof Islands. David Stephens gave a presentation about native art traditions of the Pacific Northwest. Following his talk, the crew of the Sea Bird conducted a man overboard drill, and many of us leaned over the rails to watch. There actually was a man overboard! A steward had donned a buoyant and well-insulated, bright orange survival suit, and the ‘volunteer victim’ jumped off the stern. (These suits make anyone look like the animated character ‘Gumby.’) Within seconds, crew leapt into action, tossing a trail of orange life rings into the water and launching the rescue boat. The mock victim was quickly retrieved. Beneath that enormous orange ‘Gumby’ suit, the steward was dry and warm.
Earlier in the week, a talk about salmon had generated interest in issues surrounding farmed and wild Pacific salmon. Jackson Zimmerman followed up with a presentation on this topic.
We spent the afternoon at Hanus Bay. We walked into gorgeous, green rainforest along a river. Red squirrels had amassed huge numbers of spruce cones last fall – food for the winter. The midden of one especially industrious red squirrel encompassed at least half a dozen spruce trees. Up at Lake Eva we found a section of old growth forest with some huge Sitka spruce trees, several hundred years old. We encircled one giant tree with our outstretched arms, and it took seven of us to complete the ring.
We also explored the area by kayak. A couple of harbor seals played peek-a-boo with the kayakers who paddled up to the river mouth. Some kayakers got a bit damper than planned as they nosed their boats into the cascading waters.
While parents and grandparents were walking and paddling, the younger folks had a grand time getting Zodiac driving lessons. Not only did they have a chance to drive, but they got close looks at a couple of boisterous humpback whale mothers and calves. What a thrill to see playful calves at such close range!
It is now so close to the summer solstice that the terms ‘morning’ and ‘evening’ are rather ambiguous. Twilight occurs at 03:30 and 23:30. Perhaps it would be better to judge the passage of time by our meals. So . . . as we ate breakfast, southeast Alaska was serving up typical fare: scattered showers beneath gray clouds. The climate here is temperate rainforest, after all!
We cruised south in Chatham Strait along the shores of Chichagof and Baranof Islands. David Stephens gave a presentation about native art traditions of the Pacific Northwest. Following his talk, the crew of the Sea Bird conducted a man overboard drill, and many of us leaned over the rails to watch. There actually was a man overboard! A steward had donned a buoyant and well-insulated, bright orange survival suit, and the ‘volunteer victim’ jumped off the stern. (These suits make anyone look like the animated character ‘Gumby.’) Within seconds, crew leapt into action, tossing a trail of orange life rings into the water and launching the rescue boat. The mock victim was quickly retrieved. Beneath that enormous orange ‘Gumby’ suit, the steward was dry and warm.
Earlier in the week, a talk about salmon had generated interest in issues surrounding farmed and wild Pacific salmon. Jackson Zimmerman followed up with a presentation on this topic.
We spent the afternoon at Hanus Bay. We walked into gorgeous, green rainforest along a river. Red squirrels had amassed huge numbers of spruce cones last fall – food for the winter. The midden of one especially industrious red squirrel encompassed at least half a dozen spruce trees. Up at Lake Eva we found a section of old growth forest with some huge Sitka spruce trees, several hundred years old. We encircled one giant tree with our outstretched arms, and it took seven of us to complete the ring.
We also explored the area by kayak. A couple of harbor seals played peek-a-boo with the kayakers who paddled up to the river mouth. Some kayakers got a bit damper than planned as they nosed their boats into the cascading waters.
While parents and grandparents were walking and paddling, the younger folks had a grand time getting Zodiac driving lessons. Not only did they have a chance to drive, but they got close looks at a couple of boisterous humpback whale mothers and calves. What a thrill to see playful calves at such close range!
