Clarence Strait, Grindall Bay & Hump Island, 7/19/2021, National Geographic Sea Bird
Aboard the
National Geographic Sea Bird
Alaska
Our overnight transit led us to Clarence Strait and nearby Grindall Island, where the day dawned calm, warm, and sunny. Morning activities included hiking through a beautiful forest of yellow cedar, western hemlock, Sitka spruce and shore pine, as well as circumnavigating the island in our expedition landing craft. Hikers put ashore carefully navigated the rocky intertidal zone and then, with one giant step, entered a moss draped forest where Pacific wrens and golden-crowned kinglets alternately welcomed and scolded us.
In the afternoon, we visited the Hump Bay Oyster Company where Pacific oysters are grown in the cold, clean, nutrient-rich waters of Southeast Alaska near Ketchikan. The tour included a touch tank as well as sampling the delicious oysters.
Steve began watching whales in 1986 off the California coast, far from his North Dakota homeland. A long the way he studied natural history at the Evergreen State College in Washington state (1982) and has been busy ever since working as an environm...
Taylor was born in Seattle, Washington and grew up on Vashon Island in Puget Sound. It was on this island he picked up his first video camera and began producing, directing and editing backyard blockbusters. Alien invasions, ninja assassins and haun...
The National Geographic Sea Lion continued through Chatham Strait during the night. Our ship was making its way toward our morning anchorage of Hanus Bay on the northeast tip of Baranof Island. Recently the hiking trail to Lake Eva has been beautifully renovated, allowing for many levels of hikers an opportunity to walk in a wonderfully protected section of temperate rainforest. Forests located on salmon rivers are protected allowing for the successful return of many species of Pacific salmon. We were divided into several levels of hiking and each group made its way up a small hill and into a forest of blow downs, mushrooms, ripe-red huckleberries, feasting squirrels and at least two species of salmon at their final destination, having returned to their natal stream to spawn the next generation of salmon. We walked, we stopped, we observed and heard about a world called a temperate rain forest from our staff. We all made our way up towards Lake Eva, stopping along the way, taking in the stories of all the different components that are part of this unique forest environment. During the afternoon we made our way a short distance to Saook Bay for water activities. Kayaks, paddleboards, and Zodiacs all provided for a chance to explore a quiet hidden bay. The perfect choice as, during the late morning hours, the wind had increased. A little quiet place to spend our afternoon protected, comfortable and safe was a wonderful way to finish our day.
Today all of us aboard the National Geographic Sea Lion got to explore Dundas Bay. Dundas Bay is inside the Glacier Bay National Park boundary and was the perfect location for our guests to get out for a full day of activities. Our guests were able to hike for animal prints, spot mushrooms in the forest and head out in Zodiacs looking for marine wildlife.
The National Geographic Sea Lion was greeted by hordes of wildlife as she sailed into the Inian Islands wilderness. Birds, sea lions, and otters popped their heads up and out of the water, breaking the otherwise smooth surface. The first base of operation of the day was Port Althrop, located at the northwest corner of Chichagof Island. This is one of the larger landmasses in the Alexander archipelago, covering more area than Rhode Island. Port Althrop was named by the famous navigator and explorer Captain George Vancouver in 1794. Alaska showed off her prettiest side with a bluebird day and a light breeze. Guests hiked into the forest and kayaked the bay. The cove was chalk full of egg yolk, lion’s mane, and moon jellies. The backdrop to the morning activities was the spectacular Fairweather Mountains, which were uncharacteristically visible due to the incredible weather. On the reposition for the afternoon activity, humpback whales paralleled the ship showing off their unique flukes. The photo instructor, Nathan Kelley, gave guests his intro to expedition photography talk, with invaluable tips and tricks. Once we arrived at the second anchorage, the adventure continued with Zodiac cruises around the various Inian Islands. These islands are in Cross Sound, at the confluence of the Inside Passage waters and the Gulf of Alaska. Massive amounts of water flows into this area, creating fast currents and large zones of upwelling. These are areas where nutrient-rich bottom water is brought to the surface and exposed to the sun. This exposure fuels an opulent biotic brew. This biological cocktail brings copious amounts of wildlife to the area. Steller sea lions, sea otters, pigeon guillemots, black-legged kittiwakes, harbor seals, and humpback whales all frequented the area today to feed off the nutrient-dense waters. A perfect first day on our expedition in Alaska and looking forward to tomorrow’s explorations!
