Photography is an important part of travel, and whether using a phone, point-and-shoot, or SLR, many, many images were created today. An incredible diversity of subjects were available, from macro to scenic, from people in nature to wildlife. Morning foggy skies led to an afternoon of blazing sunshine, so light conditions were continually changing. Throughout the day, we were filled with an array of imagery that excited us and challenged us.
In the morning, we explored Idaho Inlet. Whether by kayak or hiking, wildlife was abundant. A salmon stream attracted many hungry critters from eagles to sandpipers. Kayakers entered a bit of the stream while walkers enjoyed the banks. A coastal meadow was filled with a rainbow of flowers, from white orchids, to red paintbrush, to purple monkshood. One certain highlight were the large yellow beach sunflowers, many with big bees pollinating them. Being very mellow bees, they allowed for close-up macro photography.
In the afternoon, we enjoyed one of the most exciting experiences of the trip. The Inian Islands are the boundary between the northern end of the Inside Passage and the open Pacific. On an incoming tide, water is pouring in, bringing with it an incredible amount of food. Salmon are streaming into the inside passage, on their way to find their spawning streams, and many of them pass through the Inian Islands.
Waiting for them are steller sea lions. These massive pinnipeds are efficient at catching fish, but need to tear them up to swallow the large salmon. For us, this was a spectacular event as sea lions are tearing and tossing fish in all directions. This is an incredible photo challenge as the boats are twisting in the whirlpools, the sea lions are lunging, and the fish are flying!
All of this, with the massive snow-covered peaks of the Fairweather Range looming overhead, made for a perfect afternoon.
