We awakened this first morning aboard the National Geographic Sea Lion cruising along Peril Strait. Temperature: 50 degrees Fahrenheit, skies partly cloudy with mists clinging to the mid-and upper portions of the surrounding mountainous landscape. Naturalists were on the bow early, looking for wildlife, and spotted some Sitka black-tailed deer. During breakfast the officer on the bridge spotted a coastal brown bear and her two cubs, tucked back under a tree. We quickly finished breakfast and came out on deck to see, but they got spooked by something and disappeared into the forest. As the ship continued to cruise along, we appreciated the magnificent scenery laid out before us, drinking in the fresh spruce- and hemlock-scented air while continuing to look for wildlife. More deer walking along the shoreline, and then – there - another brown bear, its humped-back barely visible above the tall grasses, ears and head occasionally peeking out as it moved from left to right. Someone spied a deer further up, intently watching the bear heading in its direction, standing stock-still to play invisible. The bear continued to walk along, further back towards the edge of the forest and, unaware, walked right past the deer. Phew! The bear continued walking, into a shaded area, making it very difficult to see, and finally disappeared into the forest. A little later we came upon a mother bear and two cubs, probably the same trio from earlier. We watched them graze and play about. So cute! That all happened before 9:30am. A little later people gathered in the lounge with their cameras and the photo team, to learn a bit about composition and a few options on cameras to get out of automatic mode.
The ship arrived at Hanus Bay off Baranof Island and anchored for the afternoon. Time to bond with our rubber boots! Zodiacs zipped us ashore, and we swung legs over into the intertidal zone. Walkers separated into various groups of leisurely, moderate, photo and long aerobic walkers to experience this small portion of the enormous Tongass National Forest. What a great introduction to the temperate rainforest of Southeast Alaska… beautiful mixed forest following alongside a river, leading to old growth Sitka spruce trees at Lake Eva. We saw signs of deer, bear, squirrels, and heard the songs and calls of many birds. The weather remained pretty even, with a few sprinkles, followed by clearing and bright sunshine. At this writing we are gathering in the lounge for cocktails and appetizers.
What a beautiful day!
