George Islands, Idaho Inlet and Point Adolphus
How much more could we possibly fit into one day?
Today started with incredibly clear, blue, dry skies. Once again we had the threat of sunburn as we explored George Islands by kayak, Zodiac and rubber boots. We circumnavigated the island this morning at low tide. Blankets of kelp were left stranded on the exposed rocks lining the shore. A slightly shy and methodically fastidious sea otter delighted kayakers and Zodiac cruisers as it appeared to clean its face with a "washcloth" of kelp. We stared upward with mouths agape, which can be a risky stance, as tufted puffins, horned puffins and pelagic cormorants flew over our heads.
Brady glacier was visible as we rounded the island. A blanket of clouds that cloaked Mt. Fairweather parted to allow us a peek at the peak. By the time we returned to the ship, the tide had come in far enough to cover and "float" the previously exposed ribbons of kelp.
The afternoon still had much in store for us. As we traveled south into Idaho Inlet, we saw sea otters. At first a few, and then a few more, and then rafts of otters, and then even more otters. They were everywhere and we were surrounded. Before we left the inlet, we had seen easily a hundred sea otters. We looked at them through our binoculars, cameras, video cameras and with the help of the ships spotting scope, crawled right onto their fur covered bellies. They were just too cute.
As we ran through our slalom course of sea otters, interspersed with a dozen or more humpback whales, we tried several methods to entice another, as yet unseen, mammal species into our view. A few of us left the open deck to go below and get a cup of hot chocolate or perhaps to our cabin to apply more sunscreen. This usually works as a method to bring about a new, exciting discovery. It didn't work. We had to make the ultimate sacrifice and have an indoor, pull the shades down, slide illustrated presentation. With most of us tucked indoors, and a few souls left on the decks scouting, we scheduled and started our presentation on glaciology and geology. It worked. The sharp eyes of our guest Tanya Harvey were temporarily diverted from enjoying the abundant flora to spy a large brown bear grazing along the shoreline. Botany in peril! The presentation was interrupted and everyone came out on deck to silently observe this magnificent, hungry and much looked for animal.
This event was inspirational to Carol Harris, who gave us this contribution:
Big brown bear
Eating grass
At waters edge
Really quiet Sea Lion watching.
Our day was complete, or so we thought. We came inside for a rousing kelp band musical presentation and then settled in for dinner. This placid condition was temporary. With the sighting of a breaching whale, dinner was immediately abandoned. There was not just one whale. There were a dozen whales. Two or three of these whales decided this was a dinner show and breached, twisted, lunged and flung their flukes and other body parts wildly about.
We finally finished up with the formality called "dinner" and returned to the outer decks for a peach blush of a sunset, complete with fluking whales in the foreground and jagged snow capped peaks in the background. It was a full day.
How much more could we possibly fit into one day?
Today started with incredibly clear, blue, dry skies. Once again we had the threat of sunburn as we explored George Islands by kayak, Zodiac and rubber boots. We circumnavigated the island this morning at low tide. Blankets of kelp were left stranded on the exposed rocks lining the shore. A slightly shy and methodically fastidious sea otter delighted kayakers and Zodiac cruisers as it appeared to clean its face with a "washcloth" of kelp. We stared upward with mouths agape, which can be a risky stance, as tufted puffins, horned puffins and pelagic cormorants flew over our heads.
Brady glacier was visible as we rounded the island. A blanket of clouds that cloaked Mt. Fairweather parted to allow us a peek at the peak. By the time we returned to the ship, the tide had come in far enough to cover and "float" the previously exposed ribbons of kelp.
The afternoon still had much in store for us. As we traveled south into Idaho Inlet, we saw sea otters. At first a few, and then a few more, and then rafts of otters, and then even more otters. They were everywhere and we were surrounded. Before we left the inlet, we had seen easily a hundred sea otters. We looked at them through our binoculars, cameras, video cameras and with the help of the ships spotting scope, crawled right onto their fur covered bellies. They were just too cute.
As we ran through our slalom course of sea otters, interspersed with a dozen or more humpback whales, we tried several methods to entice another, as yet unseen, mammal species into our view. A few of us left the open deck to go below and get a cup of hot chocolate or perhaps to our cabin to apply more sunscreen. This usually works as a method to bring about a new, exciting discovery. It didn't work. We had to make the ultimate sacrifice and have an indoor, pull the shades down, slide illustrated presentation. With most of us tucked indoors, and a few souls left on the decks scouting, we scheduled and started our presentation on glaciology and geology. It worked. The sharp eyes of our guest Tanya Harvey were temporarily diverted from enjoying the abundant flora to spy a large brown bear grazing along the shoreline. Botany in peril! The presentation was interrupted and everyone came out on deck to silently observe this magnificent, hungry and much looked for animal.
This event was inspirational to Carol Harris, who gave us this contribution:
Big brown bear
Eating grass
At waters edge
Really quiet Sea Lion watching.
Our day was complete, or so we thought. We came inside for a rousing kelp band musical presentation and then settled in for dinner. This placid condition was temporary. With the sighting of a breaching whale, dinner was immediately abandoned. There was not just one whale. There were a dozen whales. Two or three of these whales decided this was a dinner show and breached, twisted, lunged and flung their flukes and other body parts wildly about.
We finally finished up with the formality called "dinner" and returned to the outer decks for a peach blush of a sunset, complete with fluking whales in the foreground and jagged snow capped peaks in the background. It was a full day.
