The Inians and Fox Creek
The further north we travelled, the larger the number of wildlife we saw! Morning found us quite a bit north in Icy Strait. Early we visited Idaho Inlet, a thin finger of the ocean into Chichagof Island. A good number of sea otters congregate there, as the waters are very rich due to the proximity of the roaring waters that enter and exit the Inside Passage through Cross Sound. These animals, at this location, consume a great number of clams and other marine invertebrates. Humpback whales were seen here also, feeding on the abundant small fish schools.
After watching a series of humpback whales en route to our final morning destination, we anchored off the vicinity of a series of small islands, and began our morning Zodiac tours. We visited the rookery of a great number of Steller sea lions that use these fast funneling waters as a home, and principally as a dining room! These sea lions are very inquisitive and curious, approaching our Zodiacs without fear, as they are the largest of the ocean predators in the area (with the exception of orcas or killer whales), also sometimes called the grizzlies of the ocean. With those big eyes they approach our boats and follow us, diving at the last moment in their approach. Some really get close and look at us! Frolicking in these waters, they wait for the tide to change and bring in their breakfast!
A great number of birds were seen during the morning: phalaropes, gulls, marbled murrelets and pigeon guillemots. And near the rookery of the sea lions, puffins, those lovely, funny little flying footballs that beat their wings so fast to become airborne…
After lunch we repositioned to a nearby area for hiking and kayaking called Fox Creek. Here we hiked into the dense forest, through a wide stretch of old morainal material, where we enjoyed fields of fireweed, with a great variety of other flowering plants, including a species of orchid (small, on the ground). In the forest we saw a series of brown bear tracks, made through many generations of the animals placing their paws and feet carefully in the same place each time. Further ahead, in crossing Fox Creek, we marveled at the number of salmon trying to get further inland to the lake to spawn. The water level was very low, but the pressure of mating is strong!
Others had an unforgettable experience kayaking around Shaw Island, just in front of Fox Creek. Dinner followed. To intensify the evening, three humpback whales were seen near our ship, feeding in a curious manner, lunging and showing us their huge, open mouths, with their rows of baleen and their pink palates!
