As the first early risers entered the lounge, already humpback whales being seen through the windows of the National Geographic Sea Lion. Today was going to be one of those epic days. Our first activity would be a cruise through the Inian Islands. The Inian Islands are a designated wilderness area lying at the top of the Inside Passage. Here the waters of the Pacific enter and leave the passage with each changing tide. The islands choke the entrance to the sea causing a tremendous surge of seawater to run through the islands, bringing with it a rich buffet of nutrients for all of the marine life of the area. Everything from the smallest organisms to the great whales congregate here to take part of the feast.
We launched our inflatables and almost immediately, we discovered our first sea otters. Once hunted to near extinction on the coast of Alaska, conservation efforts have brought back this joyful creature to what was once their original numbers. To us, the otter performed with playful antics. However, for the otters, the constant preening, and rolling in the water was serious business as it clean the dense fur that was almost its demise. Later we would come across a large group of females with their young and the sound of clicking cameras was the only noise we make for fear of spooking the otters, and ending of encounter with them.
As we ventured deeper into the waterway, it was evident how much the bounty of the sea was around us as hundreds of Stellar sea lions hunted their prey in the swirling waters of the in-coming tide. Stellar sea lions are the largest of the sea lions, and it was exciting to see them surface with large salmon, thrashing them about and swallowing them down. Eagles, gulls, and other seabirds also joined the feeding frenzy, making it more dramatic an event then anyone could have imagined.
After lunch, Mary Jo Lord-Wild join our group for an introduction to her home and life in the small community of Elfin Cove. She had a wonderful way of explain the rituals of life in a remote Alaskan community, nestled at the edge of the sea. At this time of year the place is busy and populated with a fair amount of people, however, Mary Jo explained to us that she was expecting a winter population of about six people this up-coming winter.
After Elfin Cove, we had one more chance to do a little exploring on yet another island, George Island. George Island is the site of a world war two gun emplacement erected to protect the inside passage from a possible invasion from the Japanese. As it turned out, the gun was never used, with the possible exception of some target practice of the surrounding waters. The Japanese never invaded this part of Alaska, and today the gun stands as a reminder of Alaska’s history in world war two. George Island is also a good place to get out the kayaks and some of our guests took advantage of the calm waters of the day. Then it was back on board for the days re-cap and a delicious dinner. With so much activity in one day, Alaska is not for the faint of heart.
