Chichagof Island
Sunrise painted the sky watercolor pastel pink and lavender that eased to shades of blue while we explored along the Lake Eva Trail. The forest welcomed us with everything reaching for the sun, from tiny ferns on nurse logs to chicken of the woods mushrooms on fallen tree trunks. Sunlight filtered through the Western hemlock forest as the stream cascaded into a protected cove where reflections shimmered.
Kayaking provided opportunity to paddle along a beautiful edge where kingfishers fished, a common loon’s call echoed among the tall Sitka spruce trees, harbor seals were catching and eating salmon before they made their final run up their natal stream, and a bald eagle watched from the treetops. Paddlers provided colorful reflections for photographers to include in their images.
Afternoon found the National Geographic Sea Bird cruising north in Chatham Strait looking for wildlife. Dahl’s porpoise popped in and out of view for those committed to watching from the bow. Humpback whales in Tenakee Inlet were feeding cooperatively. Their trumpeting gave us clues as to where they would lunge inside a net of bubbles set by one whale hidden in the shadowy reflection of the forest on the water. Harbor seals were hauled out on the Tenakee reef. Brown bears walked the beach at low tide foraging for late summer morsels.
Dinner was delayed more than once, as the whales continued to feed as the sun eased behind the steel gray blue mountain range. A nearly full moon rose in the eastern sky, painting once again pink and lavender on the peaks still holding patches of snow.
