Lake Eva and Chatham Strait
It was a wonderfully wet and misty southeast Alaska morning on the National Geographic Sea Lion. We started off our day in Hanus Bay by viewing the mountains peeking out from behind the clouds. After the invigorating wake up stretch class and breakfast we all united in the lounge for our briefings and orientations for the first outing in the “Alaskan wilderness.” Afterwards, we retired to our cabin for the spectacular task of gearing up for hiking, kayaking, and Zodiac riding. Adventurers slipped on layers of warm clothing with rain pants, and to complete the outfit, knee high rubber boots. A glorious array of colorful outfits lined the beach waiting to embark on leisurely and moderate hikes as well as kayaking. Some sharp eyes spotted bald eagles, mergansers, pigeon guillemots, varied thrushes, gulls, red breasted sapsuckers and also heard the melodic tune of the loon. Some of the plants we encountered were young devil’s club and skunk cabbage, along with cow parsnips, gooseberries (currants), and the common backdrop of Sitka spruce and western hemlocks. While we enjoyed the temperate rain forest, our undersea specialist, Carlos Navarro, fitted his dry suit and jumped into the cold waters of Alaska to bring back footage of moon jellies, coonstripe shrimps, sea stars and sea cucumbers.
The following hours ensued with our lunch feast and then cruising in Chatham Strait. This experience allowed us the opportunity to spy on a pod of Orcas up close. Also Humpback Whales meandered around our ship. Most importantly we saw a mother brown bear with three cubs!!! Dinner was fantastic, but afterwards the real show began with humpback whales lunge feeding, for almost an hour off the bow. This was a day worth marking down in our memories as legend.
