We awoke to the sound of rushing water and headed up to the bow to find the ship nosed up to a beautiful waterfall in Red Bluff Bay. As we slowly made our way out of the bay, we saw a Sitka blacktail deer making its way along the coast as bald eagles flew overhead.
Later that morning, Dr. Andy Szabo from the Alaska Whale Foundation visited us aboard the National Geographic Sea Lion to teach us all about the whales he is so passionate about and is working hard to protect. As if on cue, a pod of dozens of humpback whales were sighted all around the ship as soon as his lecture ended. These graceful giants put on a spectacular show showing flukes and slapping tails in every direction – a sight that fails to get old.
That afternoon we settled into our anchorage by Lake Eva and disembarked for an afternoon of exploring. Kayakers took on investigating what the lagoon had to offer while hikers covered the land portion. We saw red squirrels chasing each other on logs and keeping a watchful eye on their middens, red-breasted sapsuckers taking a break from drilling into trees to gawk at the hikers passing by, and dozens of salmon staging just above the waterfall while enjoying the brief respite from their arduous swimming before making their next move upstream.
While passengers took to land and the waterline on foot and kayaks, the undersea specialist explored life below the surface by a nearby rock outcropping to later show what Alaska’s undersea life has in store for those who wish to brave the chilly waters.
We capped off the day with a drool-inducing menu by the galley staff and a special Kid’s Night that featured a showing of The Incredibles, pizza, and some ever-addictive Nanaimo bars for dessert.
