An early wake-up call brought us out on deck for the spectacularly scenic entrance to Red Bluff Bay. So named because of the unique ultramafic geological formation at the mouth of the bay, the rock is squeezed up from deep below the Earth’s crust. Because of the mineral content, little vegetation grows on the red rock. Red Bluff Bay is graced by countless waterfalls. Captain Coughlin deftly maneuvered National Geographic Sea Bird up close to one especially large fall. Bald eagles, common mergansers, and a variety of other birds were spotted. On the surrounding mountains, thousands of feet up, a handful of mountain goats roamed the cliffs.
Making our way north through Chatham Strait we had brief glances at some Dall’s Porpoises. As Steve MacLean began his presentation “Forest Ecology of Southeast Alaska” we got the word. Humpback whale! Out to the decks we went to watch one, then two then three of these huge animals as they came to the surface to breathe and then showed their flukes as they dove for more food. After this wonderful show, Steve resumed his informative presentation.
The Lake Eva trail was our afternoon destination. Hiking through the verdant rain forest, we saw ancient western hemlock trees and tiny orchids. Ferns, mosses, and wildflowers abounded. Many of us followed the hike by getting into kayaks or with an exploration in our nimble inflatable boats. It is always a treat to experience the unique perspective from being at water level.
Before heading inside, more than a quarter of our most, ahem, brave, members took the Polar Plunge. This was a most refreshing experience cheered by the rest of us less, um, brave people. It was great fun to watch images from this adventure, shot by our photo instructor Steve Morello, during cocktail hour.
A full and fabulous day came to an end as we made our way north towards tomorrow’s new adventures.
