Early risers awakened this morning to the pitter pat of rain. However by the time National Geographic Sea Lion arrived at our morning anchorage the cloud layer had lifted and rays of sun were beginning to peek through. Inflatable boats were lowered to the water and we were ferried ashore to begin exploring Pavlof Harbor.
The first of the hikers quietly walked along the shoreline and rounded the bend to head up along a salmon stream to a waterfall. Quietly, in the hopes a bear might be having its morning meal. We were not disappointed. Other hiking groups filed in, and we watched in awe as this large yet nimble creature pounced and gorged on salmon. Some groups remained as streamside audience for the entire time, while others made their way into the forest to enjoy some genuine boot-sucking Southeast Alaskan mud. Signs of bear were everywhere – paw prints in mud, fairly fresh scat, fur in tree bark. And of course the magnificent creatures themselves.
Long hikers followed the perimeter of a lake, moving through chest-high grasses, in and out of forest and finally came to rest for some quiet nature moments along a beautiful sloping hilly bank. On the return, groups had to dodge a bear coming back down the trail. As we ambled along the bank of the stream below the waterfall, another bear came to feed. Kayakers and a few inflatable boats watched from the water as the hiking groups returned streamside for the remainder of the morning. Wow!
Back on board we lunched and rested, and one of the naturalists gave a talk on bears. National Geographic Sea Lion cruised down Chatham Strait and then up Peril Strait. We hoped to find whales, and find them we did. It began with a few humpbacks feeding side-by-side. Then another whale began lunge feeding right in front of the bow, very close to the boat. There were blows also in the distance. People came and went from the bow, yet by the time recap began there were still many people out on deck, mesmerized by the scene. The sun was beginning to sink for the evening, the water flat calm, the ship in neutral. Jellyfish pulsed as they floated by in the current and still the whales, near and far, pfftttt, feeding very close to the surface. One of the whales began blowing bubbles and lunge feeding right off the starboard bow.
How to explain this peaceful finale to our week here in Southeast Alaska? Words always fall short, as do pictures. Isn’t that so with all of life’s heartfelt experiences? We are blessed to be in this wild place.
