It can be hard to properly convince new arrivals to Alaska that something is out of the ordinary when it happens every day. Our now standard dawn killer whales were in fine form, this time with the dramatic backdrop of Red Bluff Bay to give a bit of color to what might have been categorized as a run of the mill viewing of these two-tone creatures. However all that one had to do to dispel any notion that this was typical was to observe the mildly frenzied naturalists on the bow. Too early for their liquid injections of caffeine to have taken hold, their level of excitement at this hour was purely fueled by the majestic proximity of these marine mammals. Frantically gesturing in silence when the animals came up for air, trying to preserve some shred of quietude amidst the enthusiasm for the continued good fortune of this voyage. The point was mostly conveyed, and then to compound the issue and really put the morning into overdrive four bears were sighted ambling through the grassy shoreline. More frantic miming occurred in a mildly successful effort to maintain a hushed aura of eagerness and when it was finally time for breakfast it was hard to believe it wasn’t actually lunch!
After some short talks it was time to get off the ship and explore a little more intimately. Our afternoon destination of Lake Eva allowed us to take to the kayaks, launching a sizeable flotilla of yellow craft to investigate sea level a little closer as well as a bit of exercise with a significantly more exciting backdrop then any gym. To average out this aquatic adventure there was the additional activity of ambulation through the temperate rain forest. Moss covering every available inch of real-estate on trees that rose almost preposterously straight and tall. Taking into account that the majority of this land has only six to eight inches of soil before hitting hard rock, the fact these trees reach well over 100 feet is impressive to say the least. With no natural way for fires to spread or start in this region, due to the lack of lightning storms and the pervasive dampness, this lack of substrate is supplemented by using stumps and logs of the fallen previous generations to get a bit of a head start. These arboreal remains eventually rot away entirely, leaving roots of those that they helped establish into maturity appear to be free standing or taking steps. However even with a whole environment to learn about sometimes the most informative thing a guide can say is nothing and just let the forest speak for itself.
