The National Geographic Sea Lion dropped anchor this morning in the mouth of Idaho Inlet, on the north end of Chicagof Island. Our adventure plan for the first part of the day included kayaking off the shore of nearby Shaw Island and bushwhacking through the forest along Fox Creek on the big island. Bright sunlight poked through cool clouds and the morning air was fresh. Each group of guests, attended by naturalists, set off to explore the area.
Everyone got an opportunity to walk along the beach near Fox Creek, although some of us went for a longer and wilder hike into the interior. The only trails to follow in the area are those beaten by lumbering brown bears over who knows how many years. Bear sign was abundant: scat, claw marks on trees, and the amazing ‘perennial bear tracks.’ The latter are impressions in the moss on the forest floor where bears have walked in the same footsteps again and again. We came at last to a cascading waterfall on Fox Creek, after climbing over and under fallen logs, sidestepping devil’s club plants, and splashing through the creek in our knee-high boots. An American dipper cavorted in the frothing water, prowling for aquatic insects to eat.
After lunch, it was time for our afternoon cruises on the expedition landing crafts. Guests loaded into the boats with the naturalists and we zipped through the turquoise waters around the Inian Islands. These are a small cluster of islands in Icy Strait, just southwest of Glacier Bay. The open ocean surges in on the rising tide around the islands, and with it come the salmon. Steller sea lions are waiting to feast on the fish. We had an amazing time floating among the large sea lions. We watched them eat fish and leap completely out of the water, seemingly out of pure playfulness. We also saw Pigeon Guillemots, Pelagic Cormorants, and a few sea otters. The fog rolled in and the tide turned as our boats raced back to the National Geographic Sea Lion. Once aboard, we enjoyed cocktails, a series of short presentations by the naturalists, and a great dinner.
