Our morning wake-up call came around 6 a.m. from a group of humpback whales. The sound of their breaths at the surface and the splash of a breach drew us out of our cabins and set the stage for a day filled with spectacular wildlife!
Our first stop was Granite Cove at George Island. Some of us explored the island and learned about its importance in defending the Inland Passage during WWII. Others explored the cove by kayak or expedition landing craft and enjoyed the picturesque view of the rock arch.
After lunch we visited the small community of Elfin Cove. Mary Jo Lord-Wilde introduced us to life in her hometown of 12, and we all pondered the differences between that lifestyle and the ones we have all stepped away from this week.
The late afternoon found us back in the expedition landing craft for an adventure in the waters around the Inian Islands. There we were entertained by so much wildlife it was hard to know where to look! The sea lions were abundant and noisy. One lucky group spotted a mother sea otter with a baby and they were extremely tolerant of our boat filled with paparazzi. The green trees were spotted with the cotton ball heads of bald eagles. Other birds made cameos as well—puffins, gulls, pigeon guillemots, and cormorants just to name a few. And our friends, the humpback whales, made an encore appearance as well—flukes, flippers, and huge gaping mouths lunge feeding…BRAVO!
