Icy Strait & Cross Sound
It's hard to imagine a day more full and varied than ours today. We awoke to glassy calm seas and dense fog at Pt. Adolphus, with little to see and everything to hear. The massive exhalations and resonant inhalations of several humpback whales could be heard from the seaward side of the anchorage, while bald eagles and ravens argued over their fishy breakfast on shore. Kittiwakes, murrelets, gulls and guillemots each added their note to the avian cacophony that surrounded us. We cruised west in Icy Strait, foghorn sounding and peering through the mist to find swimming sea otters and Steller sea lions both hauled-out on a surf-swept rock and fishing for salmon in the mixing currents. Birdwatchers were overjoyed with the sighting of ancient murrelets and rhinoceros auklets.
As the day warmed, the fog lifted to reveal green Pacific water and the dramatic shoreline of George Island. We spent the remainder of the morning hiking on island paths and lounging in the sun on the beach. Upon returning to the Sea Lion, we were treated to a wonderful barbecue lunch on deck. For the afternoon, we explored the waters surrounding the island, either by kayak, or by Zodiac. Kayakers glided over the kelp forest, marveling at the thousands of swimming marine snails below them. These tiny pteropods ("wing foots") are common in both arctic and temperate Pacific waters. Colorful sea stars and large clusters of barnacles also covered the rocks exposed by low tide. The Zodiac cruisers circumnavigated the island and were treated to distant views of the Fairweather Range and the Brady glacier, as well as dramatic views of Gulf of Alaska swells crashing ashore on the exposed side of the island. Late in the day, the second round of Zodiac cruises encountered a group of killer whales out in Cross Sound. We quickly stowed our gear, heaved the anchor and took the Sea Lion out to investigate. The Pacific swell had diminished, so we were able to spot two separate groups of these large toothed whales; estimating a total of 15 animals. Perhaps the greatest excitement came shortly before dinner, when a large male killer whale surfaced just 20 feet off the starboard side of the ship, right outside the lounge windows!
From a serene, foggy morning to an action-packed evening with killer whales, this was a glorious day in Southeast Alaska!
It's hard to imagine a day more full and varied than ours today. We awoke to glassy calm seas and dense fog at Pt. Adolphus, with little to see and everything to hear. The massive exhalations and resonant inhalations of several humpback whales could be heard from the seaward side of the anchorage, while bald eagles and ravens argued over their fishy breakfast on shore. Kittiwakes, murrelets, gulls and guillemots each added their note to the avian cacophony that surrounded us. We cruised west in Icy Strait, foghorn sounding and peering through the mist to find swimming sea otters and Steller sea lions both hauled-out on a surf-swept rock and fishing for salmon in the mixing currents. Birdwatchers were overjoyed with the sighting of ancient murrelets and rhinoceros auklets.
As the day warmed, the fog lifted to reveal green Pacific water and the dramatic shoreline of George Island. We spent the remainder of the morning hiking on island paths and lounging in the sun on the beach. Upon returning to the Sea Lion, we were treated to a wonderful barbecue lunch on deck. For the afternoon, we explored the waters surrounding the island, either by kayak, or by Zodiac. Kayakers glided over the kelp forest, marveling at the thousands of swimming marine snails below them. These tiny pteropods ("wing foots") are common in both arctic and temperate Pacific waters. Colorful sea stars and large clusters of barnacles also covered the rocks exposed by low tide. The Zodiac cruisers circumnavigated the island and were treated to distant views of the Fairweather Range and the Brady glacier, as well as dramatic views of Gulf of Alaska swells crashing ashore on the exposed side of the island. Late in the day, the second round of Zodiac cruises encountered a group of killer whales out in Cross Sound. We quickly stowed our gear, heaved the anchor and took the Sea Lion out to investigate. The Pacific swell had diminished, so we were able to spot two separate groups of these large toothed whales; estimating a total of 15 animals. Perhaps the greatest excitement came shortly before dinner, when a large male killer whale surfaced just 20 feet off the starboard side of the ship, right outside the lounge windows!
From a serene, foggy morning to an action-packed evening with killer whales, this was a glorious day in Southeast Alaska!
