Wow! From beginning to end, today was another spectacular day in Southeast Alaska. It began early with killer whales and ended towards sunset cruising with a massive waterfall and golden light. In between we kayaked, cruised in amazing scenery, spotted wildlife, and of course enjoyed delicious food and drink.
An early morning wakeup call got us out on deck for another killer whale sighting. With flat seas and patchy sunshine, it was the perfect way to wake up! This was another group of resident, or fish eating, killer whales. There were at least 20 in this pod, and they put on quite a show, coming right under the bow and rolling over and over.
After breakfast, we entered a deep bay on Kuiu Island called Bay of Pillars. Here, it was time to go exploring. We boarded our fleet of small boats and entered a narrow channel with ripping current in the falling tide. The sides of the channel were lined with invertebrates that feed on the conveyor belt of food that passes with every tide change. As we continued deeper into the bay, wildlife sightings started. Sea otters were plentiful, feeding in the kelp forests. A few mink were searching for food in the intertidal area. A couple of Sitka black-tailed deer bolted quickly. And a certain highlight was three moose, including one young calf.
In the afternoon we repositioned across Chatham Strait to Red Bluff Bay. A giant waterfall welcomed us, and as we approached the end of the bay, a brown bear was seen feeding in the grass. Now it was time to either go for a zodiac cruise, or for a kayak. Many of us set out for a one way kayak. We started by heading into the streams at the end of the bay, where we got closer views of the brown bear. The meadow was filled with flowers too, and the gorgeous shooting stars stood out nicely with the yellow cinquefoils. Soon it was time to head in the other direction and on towards the ship. After passing the waterfall, we enjoyed many bald eagles and certainly the solitude of a quiet paddle. Sunny skies and a light breeze made for a perfect afternoon.
After dinner, we continued north in Chatham Strait. Towards sunset, we ended our day by approaching another towering waterfall. Looking forward to doing it all over again tomorrow!
