George Island, Elfin Cove, & Cross Sound

The very air smelled different this morning: fresh, crisp, and oceanic. We woke to silver skies and silken seas broken only by the progress of a lone sea otter paddling toward the shore of Lemesurier Island in Icy Straight. I don’t think any of us minded the early wake-up announcement that allowed us all to see this fellow making the only waves on the seas around us.

We dropped anchor at George Island, a small spot of granite plunked right at the opening of Cross Sound. There, we explored by all means available to us: foot, Zodiac, and kayak. What a spot to explore! Walkers were treated to tidepools and spectacular spring flowers like these shooting stars. Kayakers paddled over forests of bull kelp. Zodiacs nudged up to the cliffs and were able to approach red-footed pigeon guillemots and white-patched pelagic cormorants close enough to hear their cries.

After lunch, we set off yet again. This time, we poked along the boardwalks of Elfin Cove, a small town at the western edge of Southeast Alaska. Although in winter access is limited to weather-windows found by float planes, in summer fishing lodges draw visitors to this picturesque and rich spot. Some of us could easily picture themselves making a life here guided by the sea and the weather over Brady Glacier to the north.

It might seem like the day was full enough, but we had not yet traversed the waters around the Inian Islands. These hunks of rock serve as churns for the oceanic waters pouring into Icy Straight. Whirlpools and eddies stir up nutrients and plankon, creating a feast for fish, birds, and sea lions. Male Steller’s sea lions were hauled out on the rocks, arguing with each other and lounging, as the case may be. We spotted some that had been branded by researchers at their birthing-sites in an effort to understand their movements. One, it turned out, had swum here from Prince William Sound, many hundreds of miles to the north and west.

Our full day was capped by the appearance of some humpback whales during dinner. Out the dining room windows, we could see their tall blows hanging in the still air, their massive flukes glinting in the low evening light, and even the flash of pectoral flippers as one rolled in what seemed to all like delight. Tomorrow, we head into Glacier Bay knowing that the waters just outside this famous park are rich beyond our expectations.