Granite Cove – Elfin Cove – Inian Islands
WOW! What a day. There is no other way to describe the adventures shared today in Southeast Alaska. We started the day with Sea Lion anchored in Granite Cove. We lowered our fleet of kayaks and Zodiacs and set off to explore the area. Many of us enjoyed paddling around the cove inspecting the shoreline, which was accessible because of the low tide. The kelp was abundant and along the shoreline invertebrates were plentiful. Numerous colorful sea stars dotted the rock as we kayaked along.
The afternoon was spent at the tiny village of Elfin Cove. With only 15 year-round residents, Elfin Cove is one of Alaska’s smallest villages. We strolled the village lined with boardwalks and took time to experience the picturesque community. Mary Jo Lord Wild shared her first hand account of living and raising a family in Elfin Cove. After stopping in the small shops, many brought back smoked salmon or homemade jams as souvenirs of our visit.
The best part of the day was still to come; cruising through the Inian Islands, Orcas were spotted ahead. Everyone rushed to the bow, not knowing what to expect. We encountered a large pod of resident killer whales! We watched as the largest member of the dolphin family surfaced in the distance. With the Brady Glacier and snow covered peaks providing a gorgeous backdrop, the killer whales surfaced and several times we had breathtakingly close views of these amazing animals. Maybe it was our great luck, or maybe it was that the killer whales had wanted a closer look; either way we were all delighted to have the whales come up for a closer look. The large pod of about 15-20 whales swam just off the starboard bow and continued their close encounter for nearly an hour. It was a remarkable experience.
After dinner, we cruised up Dundas Bay looking for bears. Several bears were spotted and we watched as they walked along the shoreline. We continued cruising into the evening with an amazing Alaskan summer night.
WOW! What a day. There is no other way to describe the adventures shared today in Southeast Alaska. We started the day with Sea Lion anchored in Granite Cove. We lowered our fleet of kayaks and Zodiacs and set off to explore the area. Many of us enjoyed paddling around the cove inspecting the shoreline, which was accessible because of the low tide. The kelp was abundant and along the shoreline invertebrates were plentiful. Numerous colorful sea stars dotted the rock as we kayaked along.
The afternoon was spent at the tiny village of Elfin Cove. With only 15 year-round residents, Elfin Cove is one of Alaska’s smallest villages. We strolled the village lined with boardwalks and took time to experience the picturesque community. Mary Jo Lord Wild shared her first hand account of living and raising a family in Elfin Cove. After stopping in the small shops, many brought back smoked salmon or homemade jams as souvenirs of our visit.
The best part of the day was still to come; cruising through the Inian Islands, Orcas were spotted ahead. Everyone rushed to the bow, not knowing what to expect. We encountered a large pod of resident killer whales! We watched as the largest member of the dolphin family surfaced in the distance. With the Brady Glacier and snow covered peaks providing a gorgeous backdrop, the killer whales surfaced and several times we had breathtakingly close views of these amazing animals. Maybe it was our great luck, or maybe it was that the killer whales had wanted a closer look; either way we were all delighted to have the whales come up for a closer look. The large pod of about 15-20 whales swam just off the starboard bow and continued their close encounter for nearly an hour. It was a remarkable experience.
After dinner, we cruised up Dundas Bay looking for bears. Several bears were spotted and we watched as they walked along the shoreline. We continued cruising into the evening with an amazing Alaskan summer night.
