Elfin Cove/George Island, Southeast Alaska
Flexibility is a trademark at Lindblad Expeditions. This morning found us in the fog off Point Adolphus looking for humpback whales. Fog on the coast is just a price paid for the good weather of the last week so, instead of sticking to the itinerary and poor conditions, we were able to explore the remote Alaskan fishing village of Elfin Cove. Founded in the 1930 as a fish buyer, the community has waxed and waned in population and now stands at a winter population of twelve. Summers are filled with recreation and commercial fishing with a number of lodges for sport fishing. This village can be without mail for as long as 3 weeks in the winter, due to stormy conditions.
The afternoon was spent at Granite Cove of George Island. This island served as one of the guard posts for the Inside Passage of Alaska during World War II. A number of people walked to the big gun installation on the cliff overlooking the entrance to Icy Strait. This gun served to protect the Inside Passage during World War II. Other options for the afternoon included Zodiac rides and short hikes to the beach on the other side of the island.
The Zodiac tours were a fine change on this afternoon of truly spotty fog and sun moving in and out of the area. This tour was chilly compared with the totally sunny days of the past week, and so we finally got to use our coats that had been in the suitcases all week. We explored the rocky, windy and wave splashed shores of George Island. We examined and talked about life in the bull kelp forest and how it fits into the ecosystem. We observed sea lions, pigeon guillemots and pelagic cormorants and scanned the shores for new kinds of plants. The recap of the evening covered subjects from barnacle feeding and reproduction, World War II in Alaska to the “Ravenettes Kelp Bugle Band.”
Flexibility is a trademark at Lindblad Expeditions. This morning found us in the fog off Point Adolphus looking for humpback whales. Fog on the coast is just a price paid for the good weather of the last week so, instead of sticking to the itinerary and poor conditions, we were able to explore the remote Alaskan fishing village of Elfin Cove. Founded in the 1930 as a fish buyer, the community has waxed and waned in population and now stands at a winter population of twelve. Summers are filled with recreation and commercial fishing with a number of lodges for sport fishing. This village can be without mail for as long as 3 weeks in the winter, due to stormy conditions.
The afternoon was spent at Granite Cove of George Island. This island served as one of the guard posts for the Inside Passage of Alaska during World War II. A number of people walked to the big gun installation on the cliff overlooking the entrance to Icy Strait. This gun served to protect the Inside Passage during World War II. Other options for the afternoon included Zodiac rides and short hikes to the beach on the other side of the island.
The Zodiac tours were a fine change on this afternoon of truly spotty fog and sun moving in and out of the area. This tour was chilly compared with the totally sunny days of the past week, and so we finally got to use our coats that had been in the suitcases all week. We explored the rocky, windy and wave splashed shores of George Island. We examined and talked about life in the bull kelp forest and how it fits into the ecosystem. We observed sea lions, pigeon guillemots and pelagic cormorants and scanned the shores for new kinds of plants. The recap of the evening covered subjects from barnacle feeding and reproduction, World War II in Alaska to the “Ravenettes Kelp Bugle Band.”
