Sitkoh Bay & Red Bluff Bay
Early this morning, the National Geographic Sea Bird set anchor in a small cove within Sitkoh Bay on Chichagof Island. Avian melody resonated across the secluded inlet. The sun broke through the clouds and a hike and kayak was all we needed to fully embrace a beautiful morning.
Gliding over smooth water on kayaks we stealthily sidled up to the water’s edge to observe a Sitka black tailed deer and a small gathering of great herons. These credulous critters gazed up at us as if we were not at all unusual and, least of all, a threat. Obligingly, we kept our distance and only watched. In focusing so much on this amazing wilderness, we were beginning to see a plethora of perfect natural scenarios that might have gone unnoticed under other circumstances.
Dancing among the rockweed, a silken black raven stabbed an unsuspecting crab hidden beneath a rock. As the clever corvid twisted off this unfortunate crustacean’s flailing arms, nearby streams of water ejected from the siphons of clams burrowed deep in the sand. Though inches apart, each animal abides by its own schedule, its own routine quite oblivious of the other, and all the while they are inextricably connected to the same web of life.
Meanwhile, the forest opened itself to us in ways we had not experienced before. The elusive song masters finally made an appearance. Chestnut-backed chickadees, hairy woodpeckers, brown creepers, a Rufus hummingbird and even a ruby-crowned kinglet graced us with their presence on the trunks and branches of trees. The rich old growth forest also seemed to stand out as particularly beautiful. The Sitka spruces were enormous! Likewise, a rich understory seemed to reach out in praise of the grand elders giving them just what they need-- adequate sun and plenty of nurse logs.
By afternoon we cruised north on Chatham Strait. The scene we entered was a water color painting. The forested mountains with luminous snowcapped peaks were mirrored in a glossy sea daubed with the yellows and pinks of the reflected cloud cover. Soon we made our way to Red Bluff Bay. Here, a magical world of an expansive sea morphed into an enclosed bay-- vertical rock walls draped in greenery with threadlike waterfalls spewing over the sides. Eventually, the ship came nose to nose with a huge cascade gushing down a gash in the side of a steep tree-covered mountain slope. “It just keeps getting better!” was heard time and time again on the bow.
So what is in store for us tomorrow?
Kayaks move with paddles
Going fast or slowly
Plan your adventure
Poem by Helaine Fiedler
Taking a walk
Hearing a talk
Seeing no bugs
But a lot of slugs
And a bunch of scat
Imagine that!
Left by a bear
Who also left hair
Poem by Laura Petcavage
