Icy Strait & Point Adolphus
We awoke to a foggy placid morning surrounded by my favorite member of the weasel family, the sea otter. These charming mustelids, also known as Enhydra lutris were sure to steal our attention as they floated by on their backs. They all glanced over at us, making sure we were all looking at them. It isn’t strictly their cute presence and attractiveness that pulls us in, but also their dynamic nature. These crafty creatures, which rarely come to shore, wrap themselves in kelp while they sleep, and use tools to break up urchins on their chest. Also, while other sea mammals in the cold Alaskan waters need blubber to survive, otters have a unique over abundance of hair that keeps them warm and gives them an adorable appearance.
Later we anchored and dropped Zodiacs at the mouth of Idaho Inlet. While some of our group was kayaking at Shaw Island the rest went hiking at Fox Creek. I led the kid’s hike and was thoroughly entertained. When you keep kids on a boat for an extended period of time, once their feet hit solid ground, they have a ridiculous amount of energy to expend. The kids’ uninhibited sense of adventure was contagious. I instantly became ten years old again. We used a soggy Sitka spruce for a trampoline, hung in trees like monkeys, sang songs about moose (which hours later, I still can’t get out of my head), and threw endless amounts of rocks. Our laughter could be heard by groups of guests who were hiking nearby. The trail was moist and the forest bed was carpeted with rich moss. We slipped and tripped as we made our way through the riverbed. The rocks were splashed with myriad shades, accentuated by the day’s light. By the time we arrived at Fox Creek Falls, we had forgotten that our boots were full of water as well as the devil’s club that had clawed us on the trail. As the sun glistened at this forty-foot waterfall we played in its pool, emptied our boots, and exchanged piggyback rides.
When we left Icy Straits the rain began to follow us. We soon spotted two more otters skillfully tearing apart a huge octopus. This was an exciting game of tug a war. As we continued underway, some guests signed up for massages while others did crossword puzzles, and still others attended an informative photography presentation given by our naturalists Mike Nolan and CT Ticknor. As usual, our down time didn’t last very long. As the clouds lifted we arrived at Point Adolphus on Chichagof Island. There we found a group of humpbacks who gave us a stunning and graceful performance. We quickly grabbed our cameras for this show which seemed to last forever. Pectoral fins slapped, breaches splashed, and we found ourselves captivated by gorgeous flukes. Every time we decided to go inside or thought about leaving… the humpbacks held us captive longer. Tonight, appreciation and gratitude flooded the boat. It was another full day of enjoyment for us here on the National Geographic Sea Lion.
We awoke to a foggy placid morning surrounded by my favorite member of the weasel family, the sea otter. These charming mustelids, also known as Enhydra lutris were sure to steal our attention as they floated by on their backs. They all glanced over at us, making sure we were all looking at them. It isn’t strictly their cute presence and attractiveness that pulls us in, but also their dynamic nature. These crafty creatures, which rarely come to shore, wrap themselves in kelp while they sleep, and use tools to break up urchins on their chest. Also, while other sea mammals in the cold Alaskan waters need blubber to survive, otters have a unique over abundance of hair that keeps them warm and gives them an adorable appearance.
Later we anchored and dropped Zodiacs at the mouth of Idaho Inlet. While some of our group was kayaking at Shaw Island the rest went hiking at Fox Creek. I led the kid’s hike and was thoroughly entertained. When you keep kids on a boat for an extended period of time, once their feet hit solid ground, they have a ridiculous amount of energy to expend. The kids’ uninhibited sense of adventure was contagious. I instantly became ten years old again. We used a soggy Sitka spruce for a trampoline, hung in trees like monkeys, sang songs about moose (which hours later, I still can’t get out of my head), and threw endless amounts of rocks. Our laughter could be heard by groups of guests who were hiking nearby. The trail was moist and the forest bed was carpeted with rich moss. We slipped and tripped as we made our way through the riverbed. The rocks were splashed with myriad shades, accentuated by the day’s light. By the time we arrived at Fox Creek Falls, we had forgotten that our boots were full of water as well as the devil’s club that had clawed us on the trail. As the sun glistened at this forty-foot waterfall we played in its pool, emptied our boots, and exchanged piggyback rides.
When we left Icy Straits the rain began to follow us. We soon spotted two more otters skillfully tearing apart a huge octopus. This was an exciting game of tug a war. As we continued underway, some guests signed up for massages while others did crossword puzzles, and still others attended an informative photography presentation given by our naturalists Mike Nolan and CT Ticknor. As usual, our down time didn’t last very long. As the clouds lifted we arrived at Point Adolphus on Chichagof Island. There we found a group of humpbacks who gave us a stunning and graceful performance. We quickly grabbed our cameras for this show which seemed to last forever. Pectoral fins slapped, breaches splashed, and we found ourselves captivated by gorgeous flukes. Every time we decided to go inside or thought about leaving… the humpbacks held us captive longer. Tonight, appreciation and gratitude flooded the boat. It was another full day of enjoyment for us here on the National Geographic Sea Lion.
