Pt. Adolphus & Inian Islands
Food glorious food! On board the Sea Lion we have hors d’oeuvres, espressos, and ice-cream sundae bars. We wake up in the morning and step right up to the breakfast buffet. Returning from excursions ashore, we find baskets of fruit and snacks set out for us. We feast on fancy desserts following delicious dinners. We don’t have to go out and find food – the food finds us. For the creatures we watched today, however, they are constantly in search of their next meal. While people are flocking to Southeast Alaska in the spring and summer for exploring and vacations, the birds, whales, bears, otters, seals, sea lions are primarily here for feeding. This is the time for bulking up, building up the fat stores that will help maintain them during the winter months.
Productivity was in the air as we awoke off of Pt. Adolphus. The tide was shifting; currents carrying nutrients in a chaotic vortex, driving fish and plankton to the surface, creating a marine banquet for both avian and marine life. Kleptoparasitic jaegers darted amongst the Bonaparte’s gulls, kittiwakes, tufted puffins, and pacific loons. Humpback whales were also present, taking advantage of the feeding opportunity. Early risers were treated to a pair of breaching humpbacks, and later in the morning, we were able to watch a mother and calf pair.
Continuing on through the narrow, twisting Inian Pass, the swirling tidal currents brought more feeding opportunities for several Steller’s sea lions. We watch in amazement as the sea lions plunged below, then returned to the surface time and again with the bright pink flesh of salmon gripped between their teeth. Eagles soared above, then swooped to the water, joining in on the fishing frenzy. Traveling slowly through the narrow passage also gave us a chance to see bobri moski – the Russian name for sea otter (literally sea beaver) – floating along the edges of the channel. Some otters had their new young pups on their bellies, keeping close to the protective beds of sea kelp, eyeing us just as curiously as peered at them.
Returning to the Sea Lion from an afternoon on shore at Fox Creek, the smells wafting from the galley had our stomachs rumbling yet again. Just before entering the dining room for another delectable meal, we were called out to the bow – two brown bears were enjoying their own dinner of field greens in the tidal meadow in Dundas Bay.
Food glorious food! On board the Sea Lion we have hors d’oeuvres, espressos, and ice-cream sundae bars. We wake up in the morning and step right up to the breakfast buffet. Returning from excursions ashore, we find baskets of fruit and snacks set out for us. We feast on fancy desserts following delicious dinners. We don’t have to go out and find food – the food finds us. For the creatures we watched today, however, they are constantly in search of their next meal. While people are flocking to Southeast Alaska in the spring and summer for exploring and vacations, the birds, whales, bears, otters, seals, sea lions are primarily here for feeding. This is the time for bulking up, building up the fat stores that will help maintain them during the winter months.
Productivity was in the air as we awoke off of Pt. Adolphus. The tide was shifting; currents carrying nutrients in a chaotic vortex, driving fish and plankton to the surface, creating a marine banquet for both avian and marine life. Kleptoparasitic jaegers darted amongst the Bonaparte’s gulls, kittiwakes, tufted puffins, and pacific loons. Humpback whales were also present, taking advantage of the feeding opportunity. Early risers were treated to a pair of breaching humpbacks, and later in the morning, we were able to watch a mother and calf pair.
Continuing on through the narrow, twisting Inian Pass, the swirling tidal currents brought more feeding opportunities for several Steller’s sea lions. We watch in amazement as the sea lions plunged below, then returned to the surface time and again with the bright pink flesh of salmon gripped between their teeth. Eagles soared above, then swooped to the water, joining in on the fishing frenzy. Traveling slowly through the narrow passage also gave us a chance to see bobri moski – the Russian name for sea otter (literally sea beaver) – floating along the edges of the channel. Some otters had their new young pups on their bellies, keeping close to the protective beds of sea kelp, eyeing us just as curiously as peered at them.
Returning to the Sea Lion from an afternoon on shore at Fox Creek, the smells wafting from the galley had our stomachs rumbling yet again. Just before entering the dining room for another delectable meal, we were called out to the bow – two brown bears were enjoying their own dinner of field greens in the tidal meadow in Dundas Bay.
