Point Adolphus, Alaska
Expotition, noun; alternative pronunciation of Expedition, but more accurately refers to a long line of people in a boat, usually on voyages of discovery in which, it is hoped by all concerned, nothing Fierce is discovered. – The Pooh Dictionary
On this, the first full day of our exploration in Southeast Alaska, we seem to have found nothing “Fierce,” but rather a recipe for the perfect expedition. Brilliant sunshine greeted us as we came to the deck of the Sea Lion with cups of steaming coffee and the requisite binoculars. The Fairweather Mountain range, some 100 miles distant appeared as if just across the bay. A pair of humpback whales, a mother and calf, were performing a morning ballet, surfacing and blowing in unison for our cameras. The real show began shortly. Perhaps we’d stumbled upon a behavioral lesson in the world of whales. The mother, perhaps forty feet long and weighing as many tons, breached close by. The calf followed her lead and for twenty minutes the pair put on a display to the accompaniment of our cheers. Some of their breaches were more like lunges while others brought their glistening bodies completely out of the water. The calf managed several total breaches combined with full twists. We enjoyed the “best seats in the house” as it all played out just yards from our widened eyes. And all this before breakfast!
The Sea Lion entered Idaho Inlet from Icy Strait where we scanned ahead for wildlife. We discovered a Sitka black tail deer that was apparently just completing a swim across the inlet and it staggered ashore perhaps very cold and tired. We watched it for some time as it slowly regained its footing and strength before wandering off into the high grass. Continuing on we soon found the most endearing of all marine mammals, the sea otter. Lacking a layer of blubber found in other marine mammals, they rely on a thick and well-groomed pelt for insulation. They rolled and preened nearby and we enjoyed great looks from the bow. We’d only just left these furry creatures in our wake when the call came over the PA system, “killer whales!” These top predators can be found in all the world’s oceans and for nearly thirty minutes we paced their track, watching the blows and the footprints. Those of us who were photographing had to zoom to wide angle as the trio approached within yards of the ship and lingered just beneath our bow. The excitement was high and our shrieks of joy drowned out the whir and clicks of the cameras.
Immediately after lunch we climbed into Zodiacs for our first excursion ashore. Some slipped into the kayaks for a quiet paddle at the head of the inlet while others joined the staff for interpretive walks in meadow and wood. Back aboard and underway once again there was time to reflect on the fullness of the day. What rich and diverse experiences we’d savored, on this our first day!
Expotition, noun; alternative pronunciation of Expedition, but more accurately refers to a long line of people in a boat, usually on voyages of discovery in which, it is hoped by all concerned, nothing Fierce is discovered. – The Pooh Dictionary
On this, the first full day of our exploration in Southeast Alaska, we seem to have found nothing “Fierce,” but rather a recipe for the perfect expedition. Brilliant sunshine greeted us as we came to the deck of the Sea Lion with cups of steaming coffee and the requisite binoculars. The Fairweather Mountain range, some 100 miles distant appeared as if just across the bay. A pair of humpback whales, a mother and calf, were performing a morning ballet, surfacing and blowing in unison for our cameras. The real show began shortly. Perhaps we’d stumbled upon a behavioral lesson in the world of whales. The mother, perhaps forty feet long and weighing as many tons, breached close by. The calf followed her lead and for twenty minutes the pair put on a display to the accompaniment of our cheers. Some of their breaches were more like lunges while others brought their glistening bodies completely out of the water. The calf managed several total breaches combined with full twists. We enjoyed the “best seats in the house” as it all played out just yards from our widened eyes. And all this before breakfast!
The Sea Lion entered Idaho Inlet from Icy Strait where we scanned ahead for wildlife. We discovered a Sitka black tail deer that was apparently just completing a swim across the inlet and it staggered ashore perhaps very cold and tired. We watched it for some time as it slowly regained its footing and strength before wandering off into the high grass. Continuing on we soon found the most endearing of all marine mammals, the sea otter. Lacking a layer of blubber found in other marine mammals, they rely on a thick and well-groomed pelt for insulation. They rolled and preened nearby and we enjoyed great looks from the bow. We’d only just left these furry creatures in our wake when the call came over the PA system, “killer whales!” These top predators can be found in all the world’s oceans and for nearly thirty minutes we paced their track, watching the blows and the footprints. Those of us who were photographing had to zoom to wide angle as the trio approached within yards of the ship and lingered just beneath our bow. The excitement was high and our shrieks of joy drowned out the whir and clicks of the cameras.
Immediately after lunch we climbed into Zodiacs for our first excursion ashore. Some slipped into the kayaks for a quiet paddle at the head of the inlet while others joined the staff for interpretive walks in meadow and wood. Back aboard and underway once again there was time to reflect on the fullness of the day. What rich and diverse experiences we’d savored, on this our first day!
