Granite Cove

Waking up to calm seas and clearing skies in Idaho Inlet, our day began by enjoying sea otters, watching them rest, feed and care for their lush and essential fur coats in the frigid waters near Icy Strait. Soon we saw a deer walking the beach, where she was joined by another doe and two spotted fawns, all intent on finding their meal in the lush green coastal vegetation. On our Zodiac cruises we passed humpback whales lunge-feeding through the plankton-rich waters, as well as Steller sea lions and harbor seals utilizing fishes further up the food chain. Marbled murrelets were abundant, diving for small fish among the marine mammals while bald eagles worked the edges of the coastline. Nearby a pair of peregrine falcons chased one of the eagles from the territory of its nestlings. All these feeding strategies were inspiration for the Sea Lion's galley staff to provide us with a delicious barbecue lunch on the sunny beach of Granite Cove on rugged George Island, the center of all this wildlife feeding activity. The weather was an unusual treat for mid-summer, allowing us to relax and savor a truly remarkable Southeast Alaska day.