Today was a total WOW day! Everything was WOW! We had terrific weather with lots of sun and there was so much wildlife to see, which started with a spotting of a few Sitka black-tailed deer on the shore this morning before breakfast. We spent the rest of the morning cruising Chatham Strait and Tenakee Inlet, where we saw several humpback whales. The whales were probably feeding in the area, showing their backs as they blew and their tails as they dove. We also spotted three separate brown bears on the shoreline, wandering the beaches and chowing down on grass. Before lunch we had a talk from our photo instructor Brenda.
The afternoon was crammed with excitement! Kayakers took to their boats to paddle the pristine waters of the cove. They had terrific views beneath their boats as they cruised around under the sun and enjoyed a nearby waterfall. Hikers wandered up the beach and into the forest, trekking along the side of the waterfall to a beaver lodge. The path was lined with trees that had been chewed by aforementioned beavers! As we made our way from the forest into a meadow, beautiful views greeted the group, complete with a placid lake in the foreground.
Near the end of our time onshore, hikers spotted two brown bears beside the waterfall. They were probably two young siblings traveling together. We watched them happily eating grass from a safe distance and discussed interesting points of bear biology.
This evening we finished up with lovely sunset, ridiculous dessert, and an interesting bear presentation by Carolos, our naturalist and diver.
