Our gorgeous day in Southeast Alaska started with light rain and mist dewing the landscape. While there were small swells in the passage, we ducked into the quaint settlement of Elfin Cove: population 8 (year-round). The museum, post office, general store, and gift shop opened for the day and some meandered around the town’s boardwalk loop, taking in the scenery.
After, we repositioned National Geographic Sea Lion to anchor near the Indian Islands for our tour. The rest of the day, we watched sea lions, birds, and fish taking advantage of the ocean bounty in the great upwelling of water. A quick visit to the Indian Islands Institute allowed us to hear first-hand about the interesting educational programs the institute offers.
In the evening, we stopped in Gustavus to pick up our Glacier Bay National Park Ranger and Tlingit interpreter. They will ride onboard until the following evening sharing their knowledge of this incredible place. Local resident, as well as National Geographic photographer and author Kim Heacox, joined us to speak about his life in Glacier Bay and inspire our love for this glacially carved corner of the earth.
