George Island, Elfin Cove, Inian Islands, Point Adolphus
About 6:15 a.m. I grabbed my first cup of coffee and headed for the bow of the National Geographic Sea Bird to greet the morning and join the already gathering group of guests enjoying the spectacular scenery and searching for wildlife. It was “dead” calm, sunny, and generally a perfect way to start the day! Within a few minutes I spotted a Humpback whale blowing in the distance and a lone Harbor porpoise; a good start to long day of exciting expedition cruising.
Shortly after breakfast the National Geographic Sea Bird arrived at George Island where the crew and staff quickly got to shore to prepare for the morning’s activities: two rounds of kayaking, hikes, and Zodiac cruising. It was warm and calm throughout the morning, perfect for all our activities, and everyone seemed to relish in whatever endeavors they had chosen.
Back on board, Mary-Jo Lord Wild, a long-time resident of the small nearby community of Elfin Cove, gave a short talk about life there, and what we would probably see during our visit. So, right after lunch the Zodiacs started shuttling guest ashore for a short afternoon visit to this quaint “boardwalk” community. After about an hour and a half, it was time to head back to the ship, lift the anchor, and continue on to our next operation, Zodiac cruising!
After a short cruise we were at our anchorage at “Hobbit Hole” in the Inian Islands. Once the Zodiacs were launched and the guests were suited up, we set out on our Zodiac cruise through the small island group. One of the big draws of this particular place are the large number of northern sea lions who frequent the area, we were not disappointed! There were sea lions everywhere, resting, swimming, playing, and catching fish, what a thrill! That was not the only game in town however, soon we spotted several tufted puffins and a large number of bald eagles, along with sea otters and a variety of other seabirds. Even though the weather had turned for the worse, with cloudy, rainy conditions, it seemed that everyone loved this magical place.
Once we were back on the ship there was a short recap before dinner, as we set sail for one last destination, Point Adolphus and hopefully another encounter with Humpback whales. What a great way to finish a long, but special, day!
