Our day began very early with a great surprise. Killer whales were spotted near Point Adolphus! The courageous tumbled out of bed to meet these interesting cetaceans. Killer whales come in three flavors on the Northwest Coast. These were “transients” or mammal-eaters, and indeed, we saw the remains of some hapless creature in their jaws. The whales passed quite near the ship, giving us great views through the clear water.
At a more reasonable morning hour we reached the Inian Islands. This archipelago constricts the great joined passage of Cross Sound and Icy Strait. Thus, tidal currents that race to empty and fill northern Southeast Alaska are particularly fierce here. We felt them in our expedition landing craft. Powerful though they may be, our boats were shaken and spun by dramatic upwellings and impressive whirlpools. The currents lift nutrients to the sunlit surface, stirring the ocean to enormous productivity. Creatures from auklets to whales gather to feast on this dilute chowder. We watched puffins, peregrines, and cormorants. We saw scores of eagles snatching fish from the waves, guarding their nests, or perching iconically on seaside rocks. Sea otters paddled about the kelp-clad shallows. Humpbacks surfaced close enough to make us jump or jumped themselves—some of us saw an impressive breach.
But perhaps most engaging were the sea lions. These animals gather for the fishing, and fishing they were. We saw them in squadrons prowling the rapids, regularly surfacing to rip apart some gasping cod or halibut. Sea lions sprawled over the rocks. Huge adult ‘lions often lay alone in dignified isolation; younger beasts crowded together in writhing noisy piles. What a spectacle!
In the afternoon we motored to a quieter part of Icy Strait. Kayakers paddled around Shaw Island. It was a pleasant loop, and harbor seals, shy but curious, kept us company. Walkers explored Fox Creek, finding the trails and workings of great lumbering brown bears, dainty black-tailed deer, and feisty red squirrels.
Fecundity on the Northwest Coast may reach its peak in Icy Strait. It was an extraordinary experience to travel through deep green by land and by sea, and to enjoy all of the life that it sustains.
