Shall we say rain? And more rain? And wind? Yes, we shall, for this was the day to cap the week off with a thorough deluge. A few brave souls bundled up in every shred of clothing on hand and stood on the bow, bending into the wind and wishing for goggles to protect their eyeballs from the driving rain. The morning continued thus, with all eyes scanning the beach for any sign of wildlife. Cliffs emerged through the fog–sheer, shimmering in gauzy mist, accented by tumbling rain-born waterfalls. We sailed through the "punchbowl," a deeply scooped rocky bowl filled with seawater and continued on to the end of the inlet. A couple of presentations gave us a break from the outer chill–a photo presentation by our National Geographic photographer Dan Westergren and a historical journey through Alaska's post-oil age by naturalist Steve Maclean.
The weather continued along with us to our anchorage, where we deployed expedition landing craft for afternoon scenic cruising and kayaks from the fantail. Harbor seals were on the hunt for pink salmon, which were plentiful in the area. Many fish were wobbling along in their final hours, while a good number of their comrades were floating belly up. Seals downed massive fishy mouthfuls as the chocolate-brown waters swirled around them. We all returned to the ship a bit wetter, but with experiences we will not soon forget.
In the late afternoon the clouds parted to reveal a few blue patches of sky (appropriately known as "sucker holes") and this evening we sail south with the wind.
