Idaho Inlet and Inian Islands
Several humpback whales were spotted surfacing ahead of us shortly after sunrise; their calm movements seemed to match the dark sky and the low clouds of a typical Alaskan morning. However, the quiet start of our day was suddenly shaken by the discovery of a couple of killer whales! Swimming behind the island in front of us, two adult male killer whales made everyone onboard come outside to watch; polar parkas mixed with pajamas and all kinds of attire, but united by the same eagerness to see the top, top predator in our planet.
We watched the pair for a long time, well past the breakfast announcement, and were lucky to admire them performing several interesting displays, including a few spy-hops and breaches. Then, when everything seemed to calm down, we spotted four more killer whales, three females and one calf that reunited with the big males. The whole group eventually made their way away from us and we continued our original plans for the morning, which included a great hike at Fox Creek and kayaking.
During the afternoon the National Geographic Sea Bird anchored at the Inian Islands and we explored them by Zodiac. The Inians are located between the northern end of Chichagof Island and Glacier Bay National Park on the mainland, forming a bottle-neck where strong tidal currents flow in and out of the Inside Passage. As a result, a very dynamic environment is home to many creatures including fish, invertebrates, birds and mammals. We watched several sea otters as they calmly rested, floating among the kelp, and marveled at the impressive size and swimming abilities of the abundant Steller sea lions. Tufted puffins, pigeon guillemots and pelagic cormorants added a touch of life to the already vibrant landscape. Certainly a great day in Southeast Alaska!
