We spent a busy day in Icy Strait and Cross Sound. These united channels join the open ocean with Southeast Alaska’s Inside Passage, and so they are a conduit of current and of sea life.
Though Southeast Alaska looks like primeval wilderness, much of it has a surprisingly rich human history. George Island is just such a place. Vancouver may have anchored here as his men charted Cross Sound. And it was certainly busy during World War II. We landed on George in the morning and found the remains of a big boiler as soon as we stepped into the forest. Nearby were the foundations of many small buildings. These were the quarters of men stationed here to protect Icy Strait from Japanese invasion. Many walked to a large gun mounted to fire on enemy ships. The invasion never came, and now another layer of history, while not lost, lies muted in the trees. While some waked ashore, others paddled to an impressive sea arch, or circumnavigated the island by expedition landing craft.
In the early afternoon we visited Elfin Cove. This unique town has a “main street” of boardwalk that circles a snug, protected cove.
Later in the afternoon we explored the Inian Islands by boat. The Inians are a small archipelago standing right in the middle of Cross Sound and Icy Strait, so the tidal currents that flow among the islands are particularly fierce. But while potentially dangerous, they stir the ocean into a savory broth of astonishing fecundity. It was impressive to see channels flowing like swift rivers, with rapids and swirling eddies. These “rivers” carry salmon and other fish that lure in many a spectacular predator. We saw eagles galore, studding the forest or wheeling over the waves. Sea otters were abundant, sleeping placidly in kelp mats or plunging busily in search of crabs and urchins. But most spectacular were the sea lions. Steller sea lions are the biggest in the world, males sometimes weighing more than a ton. Sea lions sprawled in writhing piles on the rocks, or slumbered in solitary splendor. Others dove for fish, and sometimes we saw them lashing fish to pieces at the surface. Some approached our boats, daring each other to get a little closer. Impressive and entertaining, these creatures are suited to the extraordinary landscape they inhabit.
In the evening we motored toward the only part of Southeast Alaska that might surpass Icy Strait–our next day’s destination…Alaska’s…Glacier Bay!
