George Island, Elfin Cove, Inian Island, Point Adolphus
Heralded by the trumpeting sounds of the humpback whales, we were awoken early this morning ready for another fun-filled day of activities. A group of seven or eight whales gave us a good round of exercise - swimming up and down from the bow to the stern of our ship. One juvenile decided to stick around, floating belly up along side of the Sea Bird.
We started the day with a moderate hike at Granite Cove. The fog lifted as we descended for kayak and Zodiac excursions in the sun. We glided amongst a bed of bull kelps, enjoying the serenity with views of the Fairweather Mountains for a backdrop. We saw tufted and horned puffins, and we even saw some purple and orange starfish clinging to the cliffs. Some of us sunbathed afterwards on the beach while others went hunting for barnacles and anemones.
Long-time resident of Elfin Cove, Mary Jo Lord-Wild, and coincidentally several sea otters, joined us for lunch to share her stories about life in a small fishing village. Zodiacs dropped us off (no wet boots this time) to take a leisurely stroll through this quaint town, gift-shopping and to visit the new museum.
Back on board, we were treated to the sighting of more humpback whales who surfaced again this afternoon just as we passed mountains of Steller’s sea lions on our way to Inian Islands. Zodiac rides offered close up, a plethora of wildlife of these islands. We were warmly greeted by playful sea lions and sea otters doing backstrokes while the eagles surveyed all the actions high above.
We concluded this picture-perfect evening with yet another round of humpback whales after dinner as we approached Point Adolphus. To sum up this beautiful day, one of our young guests, Rebecca Farley shared with us her illustration inspired by her our Alaskan expedition.
Heralded by the trumpeting sounds of the humpback whales, we were awoken early this morning ready for another fun-filled day of activities. A group of seven or eight whales gave us a good round of exercise - swimming up and down from the bow to the stern of our ship. One juvenile decided to stick around, floating belly up along side of the Sea Bird.
We started the day with a moderate hike at Granite Cove. The fog lifted as we descended for kayak and Zodiac excursions in the sun. We glided amongst a bed of bull kelps, enjoying the serenity with views of the Fairweather Mountains for a backdrop. We saw tufted and horned puffins, and we even saw some purple and orange starfish clinging to the cliffs. Some of us sunbathed afterwards on the beach while others went hunting for barnacles and anemones.
Long-time resident of Elfin Cove, Mary Jo Lord-Wild, and coincidentally several sea otters, joined us for lunch to share her stories about life in a small fishing village. Zodiacs dropped us off (no wet boots this time) to take a leisurely stroll through this quaint town, gift-shopping and to visit the new museum.
Back on board, we were treated to the sighting of more humpback whales who surfaced again this afternoon just as we passed mountains of Steller’s sea lions on our way to Inian Islands. Zodiac rides offered close up, a plethora of wildlife of these islands. We were warmly greeted by playful sea lions and sea otters doing backstrokes while the eagles surveyed all the actions high above.
We concluded this picture-perfect evening with yet another round of humpback whales after dinner as we approached Point Adolphus. To sum up this beautiful day, one of our young guests, Rebecca Farley shared with us her illustration inspired by her our Alaskan expedition.
