Green Inlet Marine Provincial Park, British Columbia
Sea Lion dropped anchor near Horsefly Cove, a scenic gem tucked away in Green Inlet Provincial Park. Another sunny day, our progress south was evidenced by the warming temperature as well as the many flowers in bloom. Columbine, goats beard, cow parsnip, paintbrush and monkey flower added splashes of color to the endless variations of forest green. Most of these plants are a week or two from blooming in most of Southeast Alaska.
Exploring by kayak and Zodiac, Green Inlet yielded many delights. Bald eagles and northwestern crows rode the wind while varied thrushes and winter wrens added their songs from deep within the woods. Unnamed waterfalls cascaded from great heights, while at Baffle Point waters from the upper section of Green Inlet gushed over a reversing tidal fall creating a short stretch of whitewater. At high tide, water flows in the opposite direction.
Along protected stretches of the rocky shore, low tide exposed a great variety of intertidal life. Barnacles and mussels encrusted rocks and branches hanging low over the water. Bladderweed and other green and brown seaweeds clung to the rocks. Sea stars and snails appeared in cracks, waiting for the rising tide.
After yet another fine lunch (topped off by a “Create Your Own Sundae Bar”), we continued our course south in delightfully sunny weather. Relaxing, we drank in the constantly changing, ever spectacular scenery. As we were settling in, the ship slowed – we had come into our third group of killer whales for the voyage. A group of four animals kept our attention until another group was spotted under a cloud of birds. The birds and eight whales were actively feeding, with the picturesque Boat Bluff Lighthouse in the background. A grand show!
Late in the afternoon, ship’s historian Junius Rochester spoke about “Gold Rushes,” those phenomena in both British Columbia and Alaska that changed the history of these places and captivated our imaginations.
Sea Lion dropped anchor near Horsefly Cove, a scenic gem tucked away in Green Inlet Provincial Park. Another sunny day, our progress south was evidenced by the warming temperature as well as the many flowers in bloom. Columbine, goats beard, cow parsnip, paintbrush and monkey flower added splashes of color to the endless variations of forest green. Most of these plants are a week or two from blooming in most of Southeast Alaska.
Exploring by kayak and Zodiac, Green Inlet yielded many delights. Bald eagles and northwestern crows rode the wind while varied thrushes and winter wrens added their songs from deep within the woods. Unnamed waterfalls cascaded from great heights, while at Baffle Point waters from the upper section of Green Inlet gushed over a reversing tidal fall creating a short stretch of whitewater. At high tide, water flows in the opposite direction.
Along protected stretches of the rocky shore, low tide exposed a great variety of intertidal life. Barnacles and mussels encrusted rocks and branches hanging low over the water. Bladderweed and other green and brown seaweeds clung to the rocks. Sea stars and snails appeared in cracks, waiting for the rising tide.
After yet another fine lunch (topped off by a “Create Your Own Sundae Bar”), we continued our course south in delightfully sunny weather. Relaxing, we drank in the constantly changing, ever spectacular scenery. As we were settling in, the ship slowed – we had come into our third group of killer whales for the voyage. A group of four animals kept our attention until another group was spotted under a cloud of birds. The birds and eight whales were actively feeding, with the picturesque Boat Bluff Lighthouse in the background. A grand show!
Late in the afternoon, ship’s historian Junius Rochester spoke about “Gold Rushes,” those phenomena in both British Columbia and Alaska that changed the history of these places and captivated our imaginations.
