Hokum Bay
A calm night’s sailing through Stephens Passage brought us to the mouth of the Tracy Arm – Ford’s Terror Wilderness Area. After some briefings, we began our hands-on adventure in Williams Cove.
Ashore via Zodiac, we walked through meadow, forest and muskeg, getting to know each of these communities. Just above the high tide line, abundant and diverse meadow flowers and grasses grow along the woodland edge. The temperate rain forest of southeast Alaska is dominated by Sitka spruce and western hemlock trees. On the forest floor, devil’s club, false azalea and blueberry shrubs stand above a variety of flowers, mosses and lichens. Muskeg, a climax community that is in a dynamic equilibrium with the hemlock-spruce forest, covers fifteen to twenty percent of the southeast Alaska landscape. Uniquely adapted plants, such as sundew, a carnivore, make a living here.
Kayakers were drawn to a beautiful blue iceberg. Paddling around the grounded ice sculpture, every angle and aspect was unique in color and shape. Along the shore was a magnificent waterfall.
After a warm and welcome lunch, we headed for Endicott Arm, but we never made it. A group of at least nine humpback whales kept us busy all afternoon. Feeding just below the surface, the behemoths showed their flukes, lunged, slapped their pectoral flippers and generally put on a great show. Also in this food rich area were Steller’s sea lions, harbor porpoises, Dall’s porpoises and a variety of sea birds, including a tufted puffin. It was an afternoon to remember.
John Horn, a wilderness ranger, kayaked out to join us, spending the afternoon with the whales. He took me aside and told me that this was the best whale show that he has seen in this region! Whales behind, John spoke with us about his unique job and lifestyle.
Following dinner, the National Geographic Sea Lion circled the scenic and historic Five Fingers Lighthouse. To end the day, a humpback whale breached repeatedly in the late evening light.
With a full day of explorations to digest, we were off to bed to dream of adventures that lay ahead…
A calm night’s sailing through Stephens Passage brought us to the mouth of the Tracy Arm – Ford’s Terror Wilderness Area. After some briefings, we began our hands-on adventure in Williams Cove.
Ashore via Zodiac, we walked through meadow, forest and muskeg, getting to know each of these communities. Just above the high tide line, abundant and diverse meadow flowers and grasses grow along the woodland edge. The temperate rain forest of southeast Alaska is dominated by Sitka spruce and western hemlock trees. On the forest floor, devil’s club, false azalea and blueberry shrubs stand above a variety of flowers, mosses and lichens. Muskeg, a climax community that is in a dynamic equilibrium with the hemlock-spruce forest, covers fifteen to twenty percent of the southeast Alaska landscape. Uniquely adapted plants, such as sundew, a carnivore, make a living here.
Kayakers were drawn to a beautiful blue iceberg. Paddling around the grounded ice sculpture, every angle and aspect was unique in color and shape. Along the shore was a magnificent waterfall.
After a warm and welcome lunch, we headed for Endicott Arm, but we never made it. A group of at least nine humpback whales kept us busy all afternoon. Feeding just below the surface, the behemoths showed their flukes, lunged, slapped their pectoral flippers and generally put on a great show. Also in this food rich area were Steller’s sea lions, harbor porpoises, Dall’s porpoises and a variety of sea birds, including a tufted puffin. It was an afternoon to remember.
John Horn, a wilderness ranger, kayaked out to join us, spending the afternoon with the whales. He took me aside and told me that this was the best whale show that he has seen in this region! Whales behind, John spoke with us about his unique job and lifestyle.
Following dinner, the National Geographic Sea Lion circled the scenic and historic Five Fingers Lighthouse. To end the day, a humpback whale breached repeatedly in the late evening light.
With a full day of explorations to digest, we were off to bed to dream of adventures that lay ahead…
