Early risers found one of the fastest marine mammals bow-riding the National Geographic Sea Lion. The Dall’s porpoise was seen zipping around the vessel as we cruised towards the northern shores of Baranof Island. The crew set anchor in Hanus Bay and we hiked on the excellent U.S. Forest Service trails leading to Lake Eva. The low tide revealed an assortment of sea stars, crabs, and shells. The moss- and lichen-filled rain forest trail offered glimpses of bear signs, juvenile and adult salmon in the streams, and mushrooms. A lucky few observed one of Southeast Alaska’s important modes of transportation in action, as a floatplane landed on the lake.
After the nice hike we set off to cruise for wildlife. A group of humpback whales were seen working together at the junction of Chatham and Peril Straits. We all received excellent views of the well-known, yet rare act of bubblenet feeding. Listening to the whale calls with a hydrophone just before they cooperatively lunged at the surface with gaping mouths was a memorable experience.
As we continued to sail south in Chatham Strait an elephant seal was spotted at the surface, which is an unusual sighting for this region. We then floated up to the large and raging Kasnyku Falls that entered the sea while river otters scurried around the shoreline rocks. After dinner we proceeded on to the Red Bluff Bay in East Baranof Island near Frederick Sound. The magnificent twilight in the narrow passageway combined with the calm, glassy waters, and low clouds hanging in the mountains—it was breathtaking. From the towering cliffs a steep, unnamed majestic waterfall was seen cascading into the waters surrounding our ship’s bow.
