Inian Islands and George Island, 7/13/2024, National Geographic Sea Bird
Aboard the
National Geographic Sea Bird
Alaska
The Inian Islands are located between the open waters of the Gulf of Alaska and the protected waters of the Inside Passage. Marine life is abundant in this area of strong currents and upwelling, and countless salmon swim through here as they return from the ocean to spawn. We saw many Steller sea lions, sea otters, and seabirds around the islands. Later in the day, we visited George Island for walks ashore and kayaking…and a few hardy souls went swimming! Our day’s wildlife sightings continued after dinner as we watched humpback whales.
Berit grew up on the rocky shores of Marblehead, Massachusetts, where she explored the marine environment through changing tides and seasons, nurturing a love of natural history and marine biology.
National Geographic Sea Lion cruised throughout the night, heading south through Lynn Canal and making her way towards Tracy Arm-Fords Terror Wilderness Area. Early in the morning, we were on approach to Holkham Bay, where we “crossed the bar,” which consists of glacial outwash at the entrance to an extensive fjord system. This wilderness area was established by Congress in 1980, and 653,179 acres of land fall under federal wilderness protection. This fjord system is made up of two arms approximately thirty miles in length. Our goal was Endicott Arm, where we would spend the entire day. During the last ice age, thousands of feet of ice covered this entire area. When the retreat of ice began, these fjords were carved by that ice. This allowed sea water to enter, offering excellent cruising for many ships. National Geographic Sea Lion spent the day cruising and dropping in many of our kayaks and Zodiacs, so all had a chance to paddle and/or cruise this picturesque waterway.
After an all-night transit, we docked at Haines for a full day of activities in the omnipresent rain, although it never dampened our collective spirits. Many guests began a strenuous hike through the coastal rainforest up to 1760-foot Mt Riley only to have the assent stopped by snow and ice. Others visited the Jilkaat Kwaan Heritage Center followed by a chilling float trip on the Chilkat River. A few chose between a morning bike tour, a moderate hike through a small rainforest to Battery Point, or a photo walk. The Battery Point hike, bike tour, and photo walk were also offered in the afternoon. At any point during the day, guests could simply stroll through the small town (population 2300). Some guests visited The Sheldon Museum, offering history and artifacts associated with the Tlingit culture along with the immigrant population dating from the 19th century to the present. Others stopped in the Hammer Museum, which contains the world’s largest collection (over 2500!) of hammers of all sizes and functions from ancient times to now. Visits were also made to the local distillery and brewery. We all enjoyed the Traditional Crab Night for dinner, which was preceded by the equally traditional Ray Troll t-shirt fashion show.
National Geographic Sea Lion traveled through Icy Strait heading for Cross Sound, the largest opening to the North Pacific. Our ship maneuvered her way into Port Althorp, a deep bay where our morning would be spent kayaking and hiking. The weather forecast brought a typical Alaska day of rain and mixed winds. Port Althorp was protected from the high winds, and we had a chance to walk along a seriously low tide beach, past perennial bear footprints. Brown bears are creatures of habit, and they will create a set of footprints that they will walk in for generations. After lunch and the repositioning of our ship, we donned serious rain gear for Zodiac rides in the Inian Islands. We were lucky to be on an incoming tide, which brings many animals to feed on the rich nutrients brought to the surface by intense upwelling. Bald eagles decorated the trees…waiting, watching, and catching a meal once it floated to the surface. Steller sea lions and sea otters entertained us all as we continued our exploration.
