Red Bluff Bay, Chatham Straits & Lake Eva
Our expedition in Southeast Alaska on the National Geographic Sea Bird continued in what could only be described as ideal conditions and in epic fashion. The day began for many aboard well before the normal wake-up call, somewhere between 4:00 am and 5:00 am. With the anticipation of our first destination promising to offer spectacular and unique scenery, guests and staff alike were gathered on the bow to soak it all in. The waters of Chatham Straits were near dead calm, affording incredible views as the mostly sunny and blue skies were punctuated with billowing clouds and snow-clad peaks to port and starboard.
Were it not on the charts, Red Bluff Bay would be easily missed and indeed is by many traveling these waters. Getting its name from an impressive and somewhat ominous barren protrusion of red rock, so rich with arsenic deposits that even the hardy vegetation of Southeast Alaska can’t colonize its rugged flanks. The tongue of rock all but seals the entrance to this narrow winding fjord measuring some three miles in length. In fact many on board questioned if our nimble ship cold make the passage. Sure enough, we entered this enchanted slice of water with ease to find near vertical faces draped with coastal temperate rainforest and bisected by several cascading and plummeting waterfalls. At the back of the fjord in this cathedral of glacially-carved majesty we spotted mountain goats on the very distant ridges and rock faces while a river otter dined on its breakfast near the shore. Several species of waterfowl and seabirds were also taking advantage of this lush and protected habitat.
Our next destination for the day would ultimately be the trails and tidal lagoon of Lake Eva, a rich and diverse location within the Tongass National Forest on Baranof Island. With nearly six hours of navigation to reach Lake Eva we took advantage of the opportunity en route to scan the horizon of the waters of Chatham Strait, often a popular feeding location for the humpback whales that migrate from the Southern Pacific to gorge themselves on the abundant life here in Southeast. Soon enough the characteristic blows of these majestic giants were spotted by our staff and chief officer. As we approached the whales, off in the distance various species of seabirds and waterfowl were feeding and resting on the calm waters. Of note were a couple small flocks of brant geese, the rarely-seen ancient murrelet and several red-throated loons.
The whales, however, proved overwhelmingly to be the highlight for the afternoon. Our best observations were made of a cow-calf pair and a lone sub-adult humpback. The whales were exhibiting classic feeding behavior called lunge feeding, in which the animals surface in a lunging motion, forcing their rostrum and lower mandibles out of the water, often partially opened, forcing thousands of gallons of water out of their mouths as they filter their food through the baleen plates. Sometimes they would surface in a sideways orientation, making visible the distended ventral pleats that allow them to engulf so much water and food with each foraging attempt. We surely could have stayed and enjoyed being in the company of these incredible giants but we had to bid farewell after 30 or 40 minutes of sheer awe.
With anchor held fast just past 2:00pm and Zodiacs and kayaks lowered from the lido deck, we set out for our adventures both ashore and in the waters around Lake Eva. This location is one of the favorites for many of our naturalists for its incredible old-growth forest, rushing salmon stream and falls and wonderful kayaking in the intertidal lagoon. Guests were given a host of options for exploring the area and many chose to both hike along a well-maintained forest service trail through the giants of the old growth and kayak from the landing into the lagoon and up the creek.
Immediately upon entering the forest a sense of wonder overcomes you. Birds that have traveled far and wide to nest in this forest call from all heights and directions. Giant Sitka spruce and western hemlock tower over a lush understory while the filtered rays of light grace every terrace of the forest. Some of our guests were greeted by a seemingly curious foraging red-breasted sapsucker. At one point, the bird landed on a tree trunk only a few feet away from the group, as if to welcome us to its home. For all that took a trek through this forest and paddled up the creek that thousands of salmon have travelled, it was a memorable experience.
Content that our day was as good as it gets we returned to the ship for recap and dinner. But wait, it’s not over yet. While writing this report in the lounge as the guests and staff dined and conversed about the day, Lucy, our chief mate, radioed me that there was a whale lunge feeding about a mile off in the glass-calm waters. Waiting until desert was served, we decided to make the announcement for the guests to join us on the bow. With a rush of enthusiasm, guests poured out onto the decks, cameras and binoculars at the ready. We proceeded to watch this whale, later named Adrian, for an hour or so. The dead calm water provided incredible viewing as the reflections rained down from the nearby mountains. It was almost as if we had more than one day in Southeast Alaska today.
