The National Geographic Sea Bird entered Port Althorp early in the morning to find yet another pristine bay brimming with Sitka spruce and all manner of opportunity to find wildlife. Some guests took to the land in order to photograph the flora and found themselves in the midst of perennial bear tracks—a yearly path the brown bears travel in order to mark their territory leaving behind picturesque, semi-permanent indentations. Others remained on the water in kayaks, paddling up close to the river’s outlet where pink salmon were entering to begin their final journey to spawn.
After lunch, we entered Elfin Cove. Few places in Alaska hold such a remote and characteristic gathering of people choosing to live away from the wares and conveniences that a denser population brings. Without roads, the township owns a boardwalk path that allows visitors to view the enclosed bay holding the fishing boats that keep the locals busy while the salmon are running.
Aboard again, the Sea Bird continued its journey through the highly dynamic area of the Inian Islands. Being the northernmost point for the open Pacific to enter the inside waters of Southeast Alaska, the location teems with life. Witnessing Steller sea lions hunt for fish while puffins and cormorants flew about, cameras and their owners had difficulty choosing which subject to photograph. A late visit by a lunge feeding humpback whale accompanied a feeding frenzy that included some glaucous winged gulls, as well as some harbor porpoise. Like all days spent on these waters, this one was certain to last in the memory of all who experienced it.
