Alaska’s Inside Passage is defined by snaking fjords, clustered islands, and protected waters which we have spent our first four days exploring. Today, however, we took the opportunity to get our first glimpse at the open Pacific Ocean to see what types of wildlife we could find.

George Island and the Inian Islands are located at the confluence of the Pacific Ocean and the Inside Passage, meaning that the incoming tide brings rushing water, bountiful nutrients, and hungry wildlife with it. Early in the morning we landed on George Island to explore the temperate rainforest, as well as the marine kelp forests by kayak, and stand-up paddleboards. We later boarded our Zodiacs to explore the shorelines of the Inians. Among the highlights of the day were up-close views of humpback whales, a rare sighting of a peregrine falcon, and hordes of Steller sea lions.