The morning was shrouded in mystery with a thick fog enveloping our ship as it glided through the calm waters. The fog blanketed our view leaving much to the imagination as to what exactly lay beyond as our visual world. Vague, momentary glimpses of George Island came through as a vision before being swallowed again by the dawn mist. The fog lifted slightly in time for morning exploration, but there was enough remaining to allow the sense of hearing to begin to take a more dominant role interpreting the surroundings. As we stepped ashore, our ears were welcomed by the lapping of waves meeting the speckled rocks of beach, and songs sung by bald eagles, oystercatchers, and the varied thrush echoing from the forest nearby. The hike on George Island offered an added layer of not only being a nature walk, but also a step back in time. The island was used during World War II as a lookout for a potential invasion from the Japanese to the northern reaches of the Americas. A good distance of traversing the well-maintained trail up and down culminated at a vantage point where an impressive cannon still stands as a totem of another time. Rusted and massive, the cannon sits among the spruce and hemlock, mosses, and algae, and claims its right to remain, begging its story is told.
As our guests returned to shore by mid-morning, the blue sky, and its close friend the sun, were chasing off the determined fog. The ambiance produced by the changing of the guard proved a poetic moment for photography. Second by second, the scene and lighting changed, offering a dreamlike effect as kayaks were set afloat into the freshness of the lifted veil.
Returning to the National Geographic Sea Bird, we were joined by a local Alaskan from the nearby small community of Elfin Cove, from which no trail or road comes in or out. Mary Jo graciously spent her time on board giving a short talk on life in a remote Southeast Alaskan town. Mary Jo has been living in Elfin Cove since 1972, and although she speaks nostalgically about the “good ‘ol days,” she has also come to realize that as time progresses ever faster, “every day is a good ‘ol day.” Elfin Cove was founded to serve commercial fishermen with a general store and fueling dock, and today has around 200 summertime occupants and several lodges accommodating tourism. Mary Jo remembers Elfin Cove’s early days, painting a picture of a quintessential life when her children were raised, with our morning location of George Island serving as their playground, and a community of adults where everyone had something to teach. Following Mary Jo’s talk, our guests were invited to take a walk through this small town life, with a post lunch stroll through Elfin Cove.
Once again on-board and nothing but blue skies, we made way to our next location, Inian Island, for expedition landing craft tours. Moving away from the ship, we caught a glimpse of a sea otter, and several curious sea lions. Once around the bend, coming into view was a haul out with hundreds of sea lions and shrieking gulls covering its surface. Several sea lions fought for territory, while others, seemingly a bit lighter in sprit, came curious to visit our inflatables. Much to the delight of our guests, the sea lions flipped, jumped, and peered inquisitively very near our boats, once or twice even appearing to kiss the hull of the inflatable. An exciting end to the day! We happily returned to our floating home to unwind and reflect on a very full, very successful day in Southeast Alaska.
