Chatham Strait and Lake Eva
We were awakened from our slumber by an early announcement of humpback whales around the ship. Warm sunlight flooded the decks, and spouts hung like campfire smoke in the still air as whales rose and sounded in the flat water of Chatham Strait. A cluster of blows appeared in the distance, and when we drew closer, it was apparent that a group was foraging cooperatively with a technique called bubble-net feeding. Well beneath the surface, animals release a circle of bubbles to form a curtain around a school of fish. The prey is startled and concentrates in the middle of the rising column. All individuals then rise in sequence through the panicked fish to engulf a meal in their distended mouths. Tons of whales emerge in unison above the surface in a display that few humans ever see, yet we were some of the lucky people to witness this incredible feeding behavior!
By afternoon the Sea Lion was anchored in Hanus Bay for hiking and kayaking. The trail winds through rich forest paralleling a stream that drains Lake Eva. A presentation on salmon by our Expedition Leader earlier in the day prepared us for the sockeyes that milled in a quiet pool part way up the path. There was only a hint of the red color that covers the bodies of these magnificent fish later in the spawning season.
After the hike, a bunch of enthusiasts took the plunge into the sea for a refreshing swim. Before long, all were back aboard for a dinner of white king salmon, a delicious finish for another warm, sunny day in Southeast Alaska.
We were awakened from our slumber by an early announcement of humpback whales around the ship. Warm sunlight flooded the decks, and spouts hung like campfire smoke in the still air as whales rose and sounded in the flat water of Chatham Strait. A cluster of blows appeared in the distance, and when we drew closer, it was apparent that a group was foraging cooperatively with a technique called bubble-net feeding. Well beneath the surface, animals release a circle of bubbles to form a curtain around a school of fish. The prey is startled and concentrates in the middle of the rising column. All individuals then rise in sequence through the panicked fish to engulf a meal in their distended mouths. Tons of whales emerge in unison above the surface in a display that few humans ever see, yet we were some of the lucky people to witness this incredible feeding behavior!
By afternoon the Sea Lion was anchored in Hanus Bay for hiking and kayaking. The trail winds through rich forest paralleling a stream that drains Lake Eva. A presentation on salmon by our Expedition Leader earlier in the day prepared us for the sockeyes that milled in a quiet pool part way up the path. There was only a hint of the red color that covers the bodies of these magnificent fish later in the spawning season.
After the hike, a bunch of enthusiasts took the plunge into the sea for a refreshing swim. Before long, all were back aboard for a dinner of white king salmon, a delicious finish for another warm, sunny day in Southeast Alaska.
