Early morning found the Sea Lion in a gentle Pacific swell at Flat Top Island in Cross Sound on the outer coast of Southeast Alaska. Here we had our first good look at sea otters and saw a small black-legged kittiwake nesting colony. Two adult and four juvenile bald eagles were perched atop the tiny islet, some of them repeatedly dive-bombed by seemingly irate kittiwakes.

During breakfast, the Sea Lion moved eastward in Cross Sound to an anchorage on the south side of George Island. We spent the morning walking on this lovely, pristine island and circumnavigating it in our Zodiacs. Along with wonderful looks at sea otters, we watched nesting pelagic cormorants, lovely bright red footed pigeon guillemots, and bald eagles. Along the cliffs yellow cinquefoils, purple shooting stars, red columbines and white anemones bloomed in profusion.

At the end of the morning, some of the young people aboard went into the kelp beds to gather a specimen of bull kelp (Nereocystis luetkeana) for a special evening, kelp recap. The kelp beds around George Island are very lush and healthy, offering protection and food for many species of vertebrates and invertebrates alike. This species of bull kelp is found from the eastern Aleutian Islands to San Luis Obispo County, California and can grow to a record 118 feet. The recap included macroscopic and microscopic looks at kelp and was highlighted by the Slimebone Blues Band's rendition of the song, Kelp, written by a Lindblad naturalist and sung to the Beatles tune, Help.

After dinner, we were surrounded for hours by humpback whales backdropped by the most beautiful scenery imaginable.