We woke early to a gently rolling swell and clouds over the Gulf of Alaska as we made our way down the outer coast to Salisbury Sound.  We watched from the bow of National Geographic Venture as members of the salmon fleet left their anchorages bound for the Fairweather fishing grounds.  We were headed to Krestof Sound, a body of water protected from prevailing winds to the northwest of Sitka in Southeast Alaska, and our destination for activities on this rainy afternoon.  We boarded kayaks, bushwacked through the understory of a mature forest, and rode Zodiacs through quiet lagoons and coves.  The rain, pelting at times, was nevertheless a relief for the temperate rainforest. We watched quietly as deer came out to graze along the back-beach areas of the sound, and a family of mergansers took a swim in the placid waters.  Today was a quiet and relaxing end to our adventures, and we look forward to our final day in Sitka.