Red Bluff Bay, Chatham Strait, Saginaw Bay
This is why we came to Alaska. A cool, crisp morning cruising slowly through the confluence of Frederick Sound and Chatham Strait, the sunlight stunningly illuminating the snow capped peaks that surround these bodies of water. We entered a small inlet on the east side of Baranof Island called Red Bluff Bay, famous for its barren but brightly colored hillside of peridotite located just at the entrance. Captain Kay slowed the Sea Bird, and the temperature drops, as the cooler air flows down the side of the steep and beautifully forested walls caressing those of us watching from the bow. Gently meandering our way through this inlet we past a deeply plunging waterfall just off the port side of our vessel, along with multiple schools of salmon swimming in the waters all around us. Ahead an eagle swoops down and plucks its breakfast from the bay and heads back to its nest in the forest.
Later in the morning we return to Chatham Strait and are greeted by a water ballet performed by a pod of Killer whales. They displayed their finest moves, which provided us with many glorious photographic opportunities of their fins and unusual body markings. Surprisingly, two humpback whales are spotted close to shore giving the killer whales a wide berth while continuing to move in the opposite direction. It would have been easy to linger all morning in this location so rich in different marine mammal species, but our expedition leader had other plans. Slowly we pull away and begin heading east to the north end of Kuiu Island where we would spend our afternoon in Saginaw Bay.
The Sea Bird anchored during lunch, and kayaks were brought ashore for an afternoon of kayaking and hikes along an unusual beach bordered with tall grayish cliffs of fossil bearing limestone. These Paleozoic strata provide important evidence of formation near the equator followed by movement northward. An observant eye found the stone shapes of ancient bivalves that remind us of the ancestors of the clams squirting in the mud just a few feet away from us. The limestone cliffs and their mineral content also influenced the plant communities that had settled in every little ledge that had a miniscule piece of space. Harebells, dryas, yarrow, and paintbrush were mixed with a myriad of beautifully sculpted lichens, creating a visual feast during our relaxing beach walks. As the late afternoon sun warmed the beach, several of us decided a swim in the incoming tidal waters of Saginaw Bay would be the perfect close to our day. Soon all Zodiacs returned with guests and gear to the Sea Bird where our hotel staff had prepared a wine and food tasting, celebrating the abundant resources of Southeast Alaska. During the early evening as our vessel continued cruising north, we were visited once again by a small group of killer whales feeding just off of Yasha Island in Chatham Strait. Enjoying salmon caviar, wine, caribou sausage, kelp pickles, special Alaskan moosetards and cheese, we watched from the bow and inside lounge as killer whales circled the Sea Bird. Killer whales in the morning and evening, what a day!
This is why we came to Alaska. A cool, crisp morning cruising slowly through the confluence of Frederick Sound and Chatham Strait, the sunlight stunningly illuminating the snow capped peaks that surround these bodies of water. We entered a small inlet on the east side of Baranof Island called Red Bluff Bay, famous for its barren but brightly colored hillside of peridotite located just at the entrance. Captain Kay slowed the Sea Bird, and the temperature drops, as the cooler air flows down the side of the steep and beautifully forested walls caressing those of us watching from the bow. Gently meandering our way through this inlet we past a deeply plunging waterfall just off the port side of our vessel, along with multiple schools of salmon swimming in the waters all around us. Ahead an eagle swoops down and plucks its breakfast from the bay and heads back to its nest in the forest.
Later in the morning we return to Chatham Strait and are greeted by a water ballet performed by a pod of Killer whales. They displayed their finest moves, which provided us with many glorious photographic opportunities of their fins and unusual body markings. Surprisingly, two humpback whales are spotted close to shore giving the killer whales a wide berth while continuing to move in the opposite direction. It would have been easy to linger all morning in this location so rich in different marine mammal species, but our expedition leader had other plans. Slowly we pull away and begin heading east to the north end of Kuiu Island where we would spend our afternoon in Saginaw Bay.
The Sea Bird anchored during lunch, and kayaks were brought ashore for an afternoon of kayaking and hikes along an unusual beach bordered with tall grayish cliffs of fossil bearing limestone. These Paleozoic strata provide important evidence of formation near the equator followed by movement northward. An observant eye found the stone shapes of ancient bivalves that remind us of the ancestors of the clams squirting in the mud just a few feet away from us. The limestone cliffs and their mineral content also influenced the plant communities that had settled in every little ledge that had a miniscule piece of space. Harebells, dryas, yarrow, and paintbrush were mixed with a myriad of beautifully sculpted lichens, creating a visual feast during our relaxing beach walks. As the late afternoon sun warmed the beach, several of us decided a swim in the incoming tidal waters of Saginaw Bay would be the perfect close to our day. Soon all Zodiacs returned with guests and gear to the Sea Bird where our hotel staff had prepared a wine and food tasting, celebrating the abundant resources of Southeast Alaska. During the early evening as our vessel continued cruising north, we were visited once again by a small group of killer whales feeding just off of Yasha Island in Chatham Strait. Enjoying salmon caviar, wine, caribou sausage, kelp pickles, special Alaskan moosetards and cheese, we watched from the bow and inside lounge as killer whales circled the Sea Bird. Killer whales in the morning and evening, what a day!
