We started the day at Grindall Island where one group went for hikes and the other group circumnavigated in Zodiacs. This was our first introduction to the temperate rainforest ecosystem of Southeast Alaska. The hikers saw the carnivorous sundews, magnificent cedars, and kissed banana slugs while the Zodiacs concentrated on sea life. The Steller sea lions have a haul out next to the island and today everyone got to see, hear, and smell them.
In the afternoon, we sailed to Hump Island Oyster Farm and, on the way, we saw a humpback whale. Our visit to the Oyster Farm included a guided tour by the young owner and product tasting. We set sail northward and during dinner a pod of transient killer whales was spotted. The group was hunting and we got excellent views from the National Geographic Sea Lion as the sun set.
