Fox Creek and Point Adolphus
Wispy water vapour wrapped by wind wafted welcomingly around our ship. All was stillness and silence. Our morning wake-up call was a whisper over the ship’s P.A. system: “Sea otters.” Scattered around the ship were those fuzzy creatures renowned for their luxurious fur, charismatic appearance, and wicked weasel-ish mannerisms. It was enchanting to watch them roll and dive and nuzzle their tail, all the while devouring enormous amounts of crustaceans. Witnessing their feast kindled our own hunger, so we went inside for breakfast.
The anchor dropped surprisingly soon, and we glanced out the window in search of our morning landing spot. The beach of Fox Creek emerged from the mist, beckoning us to explore its shores. We divided into several groups – adventurous, aerobic and ambling – and set out in search of animal signs. We were not disappointed. Abundant bear trails led us through forest and meadow and up into spectacular bogs and wetlands. Enormous bear paws sculpted this landscape: mud had been squished into prints and tracks; spruce bark had been torn away leaving pitch and wood; and in some areas deep imprints have been worn into the ground from the habitual and repetitive steps of these incredible animals. We saw it all and then returned to the Sea Bird to search for more charismatic megafauna.
We had barely finished lunch when we encountered some humpback whales breathing, diving and feeding. No one seemed to tire of watching their mighty flukes – up to 12 feet wide! – emerge dripping from the water during a terminal dive. As the afternoon progressed, the whale activity seemed to build into a climax of pectoral flipper slapping, tail lobbing and even full body breaching. It was incredible.
On board the ship our younger guests were every bit as active preparing items for a fundraiser for the Alaska Whale Foundation. Necklaces were completed, beads threaded, and chess pieces stabilized. Bidding was intense and entertaining. The highlight was the live auction of four hand-painted T-shirts and a complete Alaskan-animal chess set. After much cheering, it was established that over $3000 had been raised to support humpback whale research in SE Alaska. We celebrated by positioning the ship to watch Juneau’s annual 4th of July midnight fireworks display. Tomorrow we must say goodbye and travel home to friends and family, content in the knowledge that wild places of Alaska will flourish until we come again. Happy trails everyone.
Wispy water vapour wrapped by wind wafted welcomingly around our ship. All was stillness and silence. Our morning wake-up call was a whisper over the ship’s P.A. system: “Sea otters.” Scattered around the ship were those fuzzy creatures renowned for their luxurious fur, charismatic appearance, and wicked weasel-ish mannerisms. It was enchanting to watch them roll and dive and nuzzle their tail, all the while devouring enormous amounts of crustaceans. Witnessing their feast kindled our own hunger, so we went inside for breakfast.
The anchor dropped surprisingly soon, and we glanced out the window in search of our morning landing spot. The beach of Fox Creek emerged from the mist, beckoning us to explore its shores. We divided into several groups – adventurous, aerobic and ambling – and set out in search of animal signs. We were not disappointed. Abundant bear trails led us through forest and meadow and up into spectacular bogs and wetlands. Enormous bear paws sculpted this landscape: mud had been squished into prints and tracks; spruce bark had been torn away leaving pitch and wood; and in some areas deep imprints have been worn into the ground from the habitual and repetitive steps of these incredible animals. We saw it all and then returned to the Sea Bird to search for more charismatic megafauna.
We had barely finished lunch when we encountered some humpback whales breathing, diving and feeding. No one seemed to tire of watching their mighty flukes – up to 12 feet wide! – emerge dripping from the water during a terminal dive. As the afternoon progressed, the whale activity seemed to build into a climax of pectoral flipper slapping, tail lobbing and even full body breaching. It was incredible.
On board the ship our younger guests were every bit as active preparing items for a fundraiser for the Alaska Whale Foundation. Necklaces were completed, beads threaded, and chess pieces stabilized. Bidding was intense and entertaining. The highlight was the live auction of four hand-painted T-shirts and a complete Alaskan-animal chess set. After much cheering, it was established that over $3000 had been raised to support humpback whale research in SE Alaska. We celebrated by positioning the ship to watch Juneau’s annual 4th of July midnight fireworks display. Tomorrow we must say goodbye and travel home to friends and family, content in the knowledge that wild places of Alaska will flourish until we come again. Happy trails everyone.
