Bright sun greeted the National Geographic Sea Bird on our final day in Alaska as we made our way up the Behm Canal towards New Eddystone Rock—a basalt tower named by Capt. George Vancouver in 1793 after a lighthouse in Plymouth, England.
A short distance later, we turned the corner and entered Misty Fjords National Monument—one of the most scenic fjords on our journey south. The towering 3,000-foot-plus granite walls leaping straight out of the ocean are reminiscent of a water-filled Yosemite Valley, and just like Yosemite Valley these walls were carved by the same glacial knife.
After a brief pause from sailing up the fjord for a photo op as the Sea Bird transited owl pass, we anchored in the back of Rudeyerd Bay and had a lovely afternoon filled with kayaking and expedition landing craft rides amongst the steep walled granite giants surrounding us.
Sunset was even more spectacular than sunrise as we transited out of Rudeyerd Bay while enjoying some hors d'oeuvres organized by our excellent hotel manager Erasmo Estripeaut. After dinner we were treated to a lecture from naturalist David Stephens enlightening us to the subtleties of form line design art and preparing us to appreciate this craft on a much deeper when we see it in person over the next week of our journey south.
