Cruising Chatham Straight & Flint Point
Our wake-up call came early this morning on the account of brown bears feeding on the shores of Sitkoh Bay. With sleep in our eyes, we practiced using our binoculars to view wildlife and were rewarded with a sighting of two Sitka blacktail deer. Breakfast was barely over as we approached Chatham Straight and a pod of orcas or killer whales were spotted in the distance. Excitedly everyone rushed to the bow, binoculars in hand, to catch a glimpse of the largest member of the dolphin family. As we narrowed the gap between us and the orcas, a group of Dall’s porpoise surfaced near the vessel and several Steller sea lions basked in the sun on the base of a navigational marker.
In the beginning, binoculars were needed to see the tall black dorsal fins of the orcas. As the morning progressed, more of the orcas were revealed. All of the sudden, the orcas shifted their behavior from traveling together, shoulder to shoulder, to being very spread out and swimming in bursts of energy. Then we saw it, the distinctive rooster tail of a Dall’s porpoise and it became clear we were witnessing a hunt! After a breach and a porpoise toss, it was over and an orca celebration took place with lobtailing. The excitement was thick as we shifted our attention to a humpback whale logging on the surface of the water. As we approached, the mood shifted to one of concern. This humpback was not healthy and the orcas were approaching. Much to our relief, the orcas moved on and left the humpback alone. What an exhausting day of wildlife watching and the morning was just ending!
This afternoon we anchored at Flint Point for interpretative walks and Zodiac cruises. The boardwalk snaked through Sitka spruce forests and meadows abounding with wildflowers. Piles of bear scat (a total of 17 counted by one young guest) littered the trail and the remains of three deer indicated the presence of many brown bears in the area. The Zodiac cruisers got a close-up view of the intertidal life on the limestone cliffs exposed by the low tide. From whales to wildflowers, the first day of our expedition was a memorable one.
Our wake-up call came early this morning on the account of brown bears feeding on the shores of Sitkoh Bay. With sleep in our eyes, we practiced using our binoculars to view wildlife and were rewarded with a sighting of two Sitka blacktail deer. Breakfast was barely over as we approached Chatham Straight and a pod of orcas or killer whales were spotted in the distance. Excitedly everyone rushed to the bow, binoculars in hand, to catch a glimpse of the largest member of the dolphin family. As we narrowed the gap between us and the orcas, a group of Dall’s porpoise surfaced near the vessel and several Steller sea lions basked in the sun on the base of a navigational marker.
In the beginning, binoculars were needed to see the tall black dorsal fins of the orcas. As the morning progressed, more of the orcas were revealed. All of the sudden, the orcas shifted their behavior from traveling together, shoulder to shoulder, to being very spread out and swimming in bursts of energy. Then we saw it, the distinctive rooster tail of a Dall’s porpoise and it became clear we were witnessing a hunt! After a breach and a porpoise toss, it was over and an orca celebration took place with lobtailing. The excitement was thick as we shifted our attention to a humpback whale logging on the surface of the water. As we approached, the mood shifted to one of concern. This humpback was not healthy and the orcas were approaching. Much to our relief, the orcas moved on and left the humpback alone. What an exhausting day of wildlife watching and the morning was just ending!
This afternoon we anchored at Flint Point for interpretative walks and Zodiac cruises. The boardwalk snaked through Sitka spruce forests and meadows abounding with wildflowers. Piles of bear scat (a total of 17 counted by one young guest) littered the trail and the remains of three deer indicated the presence of many brown bears in the area. The Zodiac cruisers got a close-up view of the intertidal life on the limestone cliffs exposed by the low tide. From whales to wildflowers, the first day of our expedition was a memorable one.
