Chatham Strait and Lake Eva Trail
The sights and silence of picturesque Red Bluff Bay drew us to the bow early this morning. Steep forested fiord walls and a towering waterfall wrapped the Sea Lion in wild beauty. In the grassy meadow at the end of the bay, we glimpsed a brown bear and her two cubs of the year. Ah, another day in Southeast!
Today our travels brought us north in Chatham Strait. As we had hoped, humpback whales showed themselves shortly after breakfast and captivated us all by swimming and showing their flukes very very close to the ship. Between sightings, Pete described some of the interesting behaviors and theories associated with these fascinating marine mammals.
Kayaking around the islets of Hanus Bay and hikes through the old growth forest along the Lake Eva trail were this afternoon’s enticing activities. Many of the group stretched their legs and their imaginations on the fast hike to the lake, while others chose a more moderate journey and combined their walks with paddling. We all stopped to ponder the mysteries of chum and sockeye salmon as they rested in an eddy in the stream. Our boots found the true meaning of Alaska boot-sucking-mud, and our minds soared into the canopy of giant Sitka spruce (like the photo) and western hemlock trees.
The sights and silence of picturesque Red Bluff Bay drew us to the bow early this morning. Steep forested fiord walls and a towering waterfall wrapped the Sea Lion in wild beauty. In the grassy meadow at the end of the bay, we glimpsed a brown bear and her two cubs of the year. Ah, another day in Southeast!
Today our travels brought us north in Chatham Strait. As we had hoped, humpback whales showed themselves shortly after breakfast and captivated us all by swimming and showing their flukes very very close to the ship. Between sightings, Pete described some of the interesting behaviors and theories associated with these fascinating marine mammals.
Kayaking around the islets of Hanus Bay and hikes through the old growth forest along the Lake Eva trail were this afternoon’s enticing activities. Many of the group stretched their legs and their imaginations on the fast hike to the lake, while others chose a more moderate journey and combined their walks with paddling. We all stopped to ponder the mysteries of chum and sockeye salmon as they rested in an eddy in the stream. Our boots found the true meaning of Alaska boot-sucking-mud, and our minds soared into the canopy of giant Sitka spruce (like the photo) and western hemlock trees.
