Pond Island and Cruising Chatham Strait
We awoke this morning near the southern end of Chichagof Island to a landscape dressed in layers of gray and white mist. Strong winds from the south changed our intended anchor destination in Kelp Bay off Baranof Island to a more protected anchorage nearby at Pond Island. The crew dropped the Zodiacs in the water after breakfast and we made our way to shore for hikes and kayaking. Kayakers were rewarded with the peaceful patter of raindrops while paddling along the coastline. Wildlife sightings included curious seals, jumping salmon, and even a feeding humpback whale.
Pond Island is a beautiful old growth forest, home to Sitka spruce, western hemlock, yellow cedars, and an abundance of blueberry bushes. Walkers trampled through mud, scrambled over fallen tree logs, and admired the amazing beauty of the raindrops along the way to the pond, with enormous yellow pond lilies, cotton grass, and lots of beaver activity. Beavers are great engineers who modify the landscape to suit their needs. They build a dam so the water level rises to at least 3 feet, which then enables them to tow materials to build a nearby lodge for housing. Observation revealed an array of tunnels and channels between the vegetation, and many pencil-sharpened tree stumps.
After expending our energies on morning activities, the afternoon seemed perfect for naps and presentations onboard as we cruised south in Chatham Strait, interrupted (of course!) by half a dozen humpback whales feeding all around the ship.
What a perfectly misty, soggy Southeast Alaskan day.
