Today was a day of changing speeds. It began with an almost mystical quality as we entered Red Bluff Bay during the early hours. Hardly a breath of air stirred the water as we reveled at the hidden entrance that opened into a serene lovely sanctuary that we enjoyed until breakfast was served.
A few hours later our guest speaker Dr. Andy Szabo arrived in Indiana-Jones style by zipping along in his Zodiac from Baranof Warm Springs Bay, the summer headquarters for the Alaska Whale Foundation. For the next hour, as we towed his boat along, he shared his marine mammal research with us. Andy is so passionate about his subject, that he hardly took a breath during the entire fascinating presentation.
The next event caused our hearts to race! Forty-one degree water will do that to you, if you are brave enough to accept the polar challenge, as 15 of our shipmates did when they plunged into the frigid Alaskan waters near Kasnyku Falls.
At lunchtime we slowed down, warmed up, and watched the world slip by quietly from our cozy home on the National Geographic Sea Bird, but not for long. ORCAS! With a hop in our step we bounded up to the bow for a magical hour of watching killer whales cavort in the sunshine. It was almost HOT. Between the ooohs and aaahhs, one could hear the whirrs of digital cameras capturing the moment.
The afternoon offered a variety of speeds: from slow easy forays to long aerobic walks on the Lake Eva trail. It was a good chance to stretch our legs and breathe some fresh air. The highlight was definitely our first look at an Alaskan coastal brown bear. When all was said and done, we had a wonderful day—conducted at various speeds—with various levels of exhalations! One quote seems to sum it up:
“Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but the moments that take our breath away.” And we had many of those today!
