Hood Bay and Hanus Bay, Alaska
The last full day on the Sea Lion seemed that there could not be much more to see, but Southeast Alaska continued to reveal her secrets as the day unfolded. This was a morning to jump out of bed early for the opportunity to witness a lone humpback gulping in its breakfast before ours was served. It was difficult to distinguish one body part from another as it surfaced. The whale came up on its side, mouth agape, and engulfed prey as it lunged out of the water before our eyes. In the photo, the palette and baleen are on the left, and the lower jaw with its throat pleats distended is on the right. In between is the eye, protruding somewhat, allowing the animal to look right down inside its own mouth! We watched it over and over, mesmerized by this special experience in the flat calm sea. This behavior is aptly described as lunge feeding. The whale was most likely eating krill, which is a major food for this species along with small schooling fish such as herring and sand lance. We finally descended for our own foraging bout, while the ship motored on to scout out a quiet inlet in search of more wildlife.
We headed for Admiralty Island, called Xootsnoowu (the Fortress of the Bears) by the native Tlingit people. This single island is thought to have one of the highest densities of brown bears in the world, and we were not disappointed when we entered Hood Bay. Two bears wandered the shoreline, and later on in the morning, two others appeared. The ship edged closer for better looks of these massive animals grazing on new vegetation.
Midway through a presentation in the lounge, we were interrupted by bow-riding porpoises. Dall porpoises are flashy black and white, and their bold markings are striking both beneath the surface and when they leap clear of the water throwing off roostertails of spray from their foreheads. Eventually they lost interest in us and lagged behind, to continue with their porpoiseful agenda for the day.
Hanus Bay was the anchorage for the afternoon. Hikers penetrated the lush forest, and kayakers took off to explore the shoreline. We slogged through the muddy trail along the creek to Lake Eva, listening to bird songs and examining skunk cabbages nipped by deer or bears. Magnificent trees towered above. Soon after we were all back aboard, the festivities of the Captain’s Farewell cocktail hour and dinner began. The ship motored through Peril Strait in anticipation of our morning arrival in Sitka, the end to our journey together in this remarkable wilderness.
The last full day on the Sea Lion seemed that there could not be much more to see, but Southeast Alaska continued to reveal her secrets as the day unfolded. This was a morning to jump out of bed early for the opportunity to witness a lone humpback gulping in its breakfast before ours was served. It was difficult to distinguish one body part from another as it surfaced. The whale came up on its side, mouth agape, and engulfed prey as it lunged out of the water before our eyes. In the photo, the palette and baleen are on the left, and the lower jaw with its throat pleats distended is on the right. In between is the eye, protruding somewhat, allowing the animal to look right down inside its own mouth! We watched it over and over, mesmerized by this special experience in the flat calm sea. This behavior is aptly described as lunge feeding. The whale was most likely eating krill, which is a major food for this species along with small schooling fish such as herring and sand lance. We finally descended for our own foraging bout, while the ship motored on to scout out a quiet inlet in search of more wildlife.
We headed for Admiralty Island, called Xootsnoowu (the Fortress of the Bears) by the native Tlingit people. This single island is thought to have one of the highest densities of brown bears in the world, and we were not disappointed when we entered Hood Bay. Two bears wandered the shoreline, and later on in the morning, two others appeared. The ship edged closer for better looks of these massive animals grazing on new vegetation.
Midway through a presentation in the lounge, we were interrupted by bow-riding porpoises. Dall porpoises are flashy black and white, and their bold markings are striking both beneath the surface and when they leap clear of the water throwing off roostertails of spray from their foreheads. Eventually they lost interest in us and lagged behind, to continue with their porpoiseful agenda for the day.
Hanus Bay was the anchorage for the afternoon. Hikers penetrated the lush forest, and kayakers took off to explore the shoreline. We slogged through the muddy trail along the creek to Lake Eva, listening to bird songs and examining skunk cabbages nipped by deer or bears. Magnificent trees towered above. Soon after we were all back aboard, the festivities of the Captain’s Farewell cocktail hour and dinner began. The ship motored through Peril Strait in anticipation of our morning arrival in Sitka, the end to our journey together in this remarkable wilderness.
