Inian Islands and Fox Creek
What a day! First of all, just walking outside on deck this morning was simply stunning. Not a single cloud in the sky and a gorgeous light bathing our surroundings.
We were headed towards the Inian Islands, when from the bow of the National Geographic Sea Lion we spotted a group of orca. At first, we all thought they were transients, the kind of killer whale that feeds on marine mammals. The proximity of a small rock with Steller sea lions and the persistence of these orca to stay close to them, made us think the sea lions were being hunted. A few minutes later, after observing the behavior of this orca, we realized that they were spending a lot of time on the surface and that they behaved much more like residents, the kind that feed on fish.
As we patiently waited, the group of orca kept coming closer and closer. There was at least one adult male and two very young individuals, plus several females and young males. We were thrilled to get to see these wild and enigmatic creatures interacting with each other and most likely feeding on fish as hundreds of gulls flew above them, getting their share.
The Inian Islands are a group of islands and islets located near Cross Sound. This is a really magical place for wildlife. Exploring by Zodiac is how we spent a good part of our morning. Today’s tide was only a prelude of tomorrow’s full moon, which means that there were strong currents. The strong turbulence is favorable for the Steller sea lions, and unfavorable for the creatures that they capture and eat. We witnessed some of these massive sea lions shaking fish and rays on the water’s surface to break them apart into smaller pieces which they could consume.
Part of the afternoon was dedicated to exploring Fox Creek and the coastline of the Shaw Islands. Different intensity hikes were offered on Chichagof Island, and we could again appreciate the beauty of the temperate rain forests of Southeast Alaska. Kayaking on the calm waters near the Shaw Islands, we could listen to the humpback whales blowing. Sea otters and kelp forests were also part of the scenery we enjoyed.
As a wonderful bonus for the day, we dedicated a good amount of time to observing humpback whales at Point Adolphus. The conditions were simply perfect and there were enough whales to make us feel surrounded by them constantly. Different groups fed together and several individuals were seen breaching. One of them surprised us all when it broke the surface fairly close to the ship and became completely airborne, to land on its belly!
The evening became an exciting moment of surreal wildlife sightings. Southeast Alaska is such a special place that it makes us feel that it has never been touched by the hand of modernity. Everything here is wild, natural, and the way it is supposed to be.
