The early morning announcement shook us from our slumber - killer whales surfacing off the bow! What a start to our first full day on the Sea Bird. Sunlight glinted off the inky dorsal fins as these magnificent mammals rose to the surface, then returned to the depths. Snow-capped peaks of Baranof Island loomed in the distance, a spectacular backdrop for such charismatic creatures.
As the day unfolded, we experienced some of the best that Southeast Alaska has to offer. Humpback whales, Steller sea lions, harbor seals, and seabirds appeared during our passage of Chatham Strait and Frederick Sound. Two brown bears grazed in a lush meadow that skirted the forest on Admiralty Island. In mid-afternoon we anchored at Kuiu Island. Zodiac cruisers explored the quiet waters along the coastline, and hikers landed ashore where many stripped to T-shirts in the surprising heat.

Wet mud tells stories for careful observers. Footprints crisscrossed the intertidal flats. Long-toed bird tracks proved that great blue herons had walked here, and much smaller ones were signs of northwestern crows. Heavy pad prints and the large claw marks of a black bear left evidence of its passage. Wolf footprints are truly special, and today we were lucky. Perfect 4-toed imprints lay preserved in the mud for only a brief time until the next high tide. Our ship's geologist, equipped with plaster of Paris, poured casts of these tracks (see photo) and returned with them for show and tell. Wolves are symbols of some of the wildest places on earth, and it seemed a privilege to follow their footsteps for even a short distance.