Kelp Bay & Lake Eva
There are few reasons why someone would want to get out of bed prematurely. However, this morning we found perhaps the paramount reason: humpback whales! Scrambling on deck and letting our eyes adjust to the seemingly foreign sunlight, we soon discovered that Kelp Bay would be a place to remember. Cameras and binoculars were raised as the unmistakable hiss of whale blows surrounded the ship. Three to six humpbacks seemed to dance in the early morning waters, occasionally going for deep, graceful dives that exposed their enormous flukes. Among these giants, a single calf gained our attention by breaching several times, exposing its barnacle covered chin.
After breakfast we continued into the South Arm of Kelp Bay; a veritable cornucopia of wildlife. On the beach in front of us lay over seventy harbor seals, among them over twenty bald eagles. Rushing by the ship, a mass of several hundred Bonaparte’s gulls stormed the mouth of a small stream. And beyond this stream, three brown bears entertained and inspired us. It was difficult to believe we could see so much before lunchtime.
If the day had ended in this bay, many would feel satisfied. However, we had much more to experience in the afternoon during a vigorous hike at Lake Eva. Rubber boots were not optional as we trekked through ankle deep mud in this dense temperate rainforest, all the while being driven by the exhilarating drone of the nearby cascades. As we took the terrestrial route to the lake, we met travelers taking the aquatic route. In a dense carpet of shadow swam determined salmon, eager to find their spawning grounds in the fresh water below Lake Eva.
A day like today is a clear reminder to us that there are still wild places on this planet.
There are few reasons why someone would want to get out of bed prematurely. However, this morning we found perhaps the paramount reason: humpback whales! Scrambling on deck and letting our eyes adjust to the seemingly foreign sunlight, we soon discovered that Kelp Bay would be a place to remember. Cameras and binoculars were raised as the unmistakable hiss of whale blows surrounded the ship. Three to six humpbacks seemed to dance in the early morning waters, occasionally going for deep, graceful dives that exposed their enormous flukes. Among these giants, a single calf gained our attention by breaching several times, exposing its barnacle covered chin.
After breakfast we continued into the South Arm of Kelp Bay; a veritable cornucopia of wildlife. On the beach in front of us lay over seventy harbor seals, among them over twenty bald eagles. Rushing by the ship, a mass of several hundred Bonaparte’s gulls stormed the mouth of a small stream. And beyond this stream, three brown bears entertained and inspired us. It was difficult to believe we could see so much before lunchtime.
If the day had ended in this bay, many would feel satisfied. However, we had much more to experience in the afternoon during a vigorous hike at Lake Eva. Rubber boots were not optional as we trekked through ankle deep mud in this dense temperate rainforest, all the while being driven by the exhilarating drone of the nearby cascades. As we took the terrestrial route to the lake, we met travelers taking the aquatic route. In a dense carpet of shadow swam determined salmon, eager to find their spawning grounds in the fresh water below Lake Eva.
A day like today is a clear reminder to us that there are still wild places on this planet.
