Chatham Strait and Lake Eva Trail
Before 6:30 AM killer whales were sighted! It was windy and wet outside, so we quickly dressed for the weather and watched about twenty orcas swimming in smaller pods. Southeast Alaska always has welcome surprises, including our early morning whale wake-up call.
We kept a vigilant watch for wildlife while continuing to head south in Chatham Strait. A humpback whale surfaced and dove near Chichagof Island, but weather conditions remained windy and wet. The National Geographic Sea Lion turned into picturesque Sitkoh Bay, at the southeast corner of Chichagof Island. We saw harbor seals resting on rocks exposed by the low tide. As the ship continued up the bay, old wooden buildings came into view - a salmon cannery had operated here through the 1960s, and some of the buildings remain. We sighted four brown bears walking through the meadow far off at the end of the bay.
Our afternoon was spent exploring Hanus Bay and the Lake Eva trail, and the weather cooperated nicely with calm, dry air. Some of us hiked, some of us kayaked and some of us enjoyed Zodiac tours around the inlet and islets. Hikers enjoyed gorgeous, moss-covered forest and views of an inlet and river. There were schools of tiny fish in the water, and perhaps these are what attracted the two humpback whales that were feeding in the bay during the afternoon. It is really wonderful to locate a whale by hearing it exhale.
