We began our first full day on board with kayaking and hiking the Lake Eva Trail. The well-groomed forest trails took us into the lush rainforest of Southeast Alaska. Salmon secretly swam under our kayaks on their way upriver.
As beautiful and enchanting as our morning was, the day jumped into another dimension by afternoon. The plan was to look for whales. We found them. Large-tail flukes unfurled as these massive creatures dove deeply in a synchronized ritual. Bubble net feeding humpback whales erupted with mouths agape. Sometimes six whales and sometimes seven joined in the activity.
After hours of our watching this behavior, the humpbacks drifted apart. We had observed orcas in the distance while humpback viewing, so we set out in search of them. We found them. Just as we approached, they burst into stealth speed after Dall’s Porpoise. Four orca leap at the same time coming completely out of the water. Meanwhile others played with a young member of the orca family.
Then the baby orca breached repeatedly. It had already on its mom and twirled around in the water just below the surface. This active group kept us entertained until dinner was called.
It was a magic day filled with sights and sounds most of us had never experienced before. We felt the awe that children feel when they see something new. We added a new piece to the kaleidoscope of our lives which changes the way we see and know the world.
