Idaho Inlet and Icy Strait

You might think that cruising in Alaska season after season would cause some degree of complacency to set in among staff or crew. Nothing could be farther from the truth! One reason is that Southeast is always changing. Each part of the season has its particular delights—colorful and varied migratory birds in May, brightly blooming fireweed in mid-summer, masses of salmon running upstream as autumn descends.

On another scale, we get to watch the actual retreat of glaciers and get to know individual humpback whales by the markings on their flukes. Then there’s the fact that you never know what wildlife will turn up and what they might be doing. The orca pod we came upon this afternoon was a thrill for everyone, and what a treat it was to paddle a kayak beside a sleepy otter, considering us with drowsy curiosity in the warm morning sun. And speaking of sunshine, this week was made up of a surprising string of non-rainy, if not truly sunny, days. It made our encounters with an unbelievable diversity of species and habitats all the more pleasurable.

Finally, there are days like today where everything seems, well, perfect. The remarkable weather, the abundant and cooperative wildlife, hiking and kayaking amid unparalleled scenery, good company and great food all combined to cap off a marvelous trip. It’s days like today that keep us coming back again, and again and again.