PERIL STRAIT AND LAKE EVA, SOUTHEAST ALASKA
We awoke on our first full day in Southeast Alaska in fog so thick around the ship, that it obscured all sight of the shoreline. During breakfast, we made our way out of Hoonah Sound and the fog lifted, allowing us to explore along Peril Strait for wildlife. We sighted a Sitka blacktail deer swimming in the water and a little while later, the blows of humpback whales caught our attention. We slowed to observe a cow-calf pair that was traveling along the shoreline. The calf was quite frisky and repeatedly breached by hurling its body completely out of the water. To see such a great display so close to the ship was quite a spectacular sight.
In the afternoon, we made a shore landing at the Lake Eva trailhead where various activities were offered. Many of us hiked to the beautiful lake through the temperate rainforest while others did shorter hikes and kayaking. The area had abundant traces of the resident bears that live along the salmon stream. One group of hikers was even lucky enough to get a close-up look at a dark-colored brown bear. The group was observing the salmon in the stream when the bear came swimming downstream! The bear stopped in the middle of the stream, caught a salmon with its paws, put it in its mouth, and climbed onto the other bank of the stream to consume it. When it was finished with the salmon, the bear wandered along the opposite shore directly across from the group and then through the shallow water of the tidal inlet before disappearing into the forest. It was an amazing experience to have been so close to such a large, powerful, and impressive animal.
We awoke on our first full day in Southeast Alaska in fog so thick around the ship, that it obscured all sight of the shoreline. During breakfast, we made our way out of Hoonah Sound and the fog lifted, allowing us to explore along Peril Strait for wildlife. We sighted a Sitka blacktail deer swimming in the water and a little while later, the blows of humpback whales caught our attention. We slowed to observe a cow-calf pair that was traveling along the shoreline. The calf was quite frisky and repeatedly breached by hurling its body completely out of the water. To see such a great display so close to the ship was quite a spectacular sight.
In the afternoon, we made a shore landing at the Lake Eva trailhead where various activities were offered. Many of us hiked to the beautiful lake through the temperate rainforest while others did shorter hikes and kayaking. The area had abundant traces of the resident bears that live along the salmon stream. One group of hikers was even lucky enough to get a close-up look at a dark-colored brown bear. The group was observing the salmon in the stream when the bear came swimming downstream! The bear stopped in the middle of the stream, caught a salmon with its paws, put it in its mouth, and climbed onto the other bank of the stream to consume it. When it was finished with the salmon, the bear wandered along the opposite shore directly across from the group and then through the shallow water of the tidal inlet before disappearing into the forest. It was an amazing experience to have been so close to such a large, powerful, and impressive animal.
