Early this morning the National Geographic Sea Lion entered an inlet on the eastern side of Baranof Island, directly across from the western end of Frederick Sound. This beautiful and well-protected waterway is known as Red Bluff Bay. As we slowly cruised deeper into the bay, we spotted bald eagles and marbled murrelets, as well as Northern sea Lions and harbor seals. The highlight was a magnificent waterfall that cascaded down the mountain to the ocean. The captain adeptly maneuvered our ship into a position right in front of the cascade, giving everyone a great chance to take photos and get up-close-and-personal with this tumbling, rumbling waterfall! What a wonderful way to start the day!
Soon it was time to exit the bay and head northward toward Peril Strait, the location for the afternoon’s activities. But first, we enjoyed an educational visit and entertaining lecture from local humpback whale expert, Dr. Andy Szabo, who traveled from Warm Spring Bay by inflatable boat to join us out in the middle of Chatham Strait. Then it was time to say goodbye to Andy and continue on our way, always on the lookout for wildlife.
We spotted a number of whales, but they seemed to be very focused on feeding in the depths, spending extended periods submerged well beneath the surface. Finally, our patience was rewarded by an individual whale displaying at the surface, flapping its tail and pectoral fins to everyone’s delight. But as we slowly approached, it became clear that there was more to this encounter. In between all the animated display, this whale was feeding close to the surface, employing a technique called “bubble-netting” to help trap its prey for the final lunge to the surface. These incredibly smart whales will use bubbles as a tool to make their feeding lunges more effective. This close and dramatic encounter put all those “wildlife films” to shame. An unforgettable experience.
During lunch, the ship headed for Lake Eva. Around three o’clock, we hit the north end of Baranof Island for an assortment of long, medium and short walks along the Lake Eva trail. We even had the chance to see our undersea specialist and video chronicler snorkel with the salmon that were running upstream to their spawning beds. There was also time to kayak before heading back to the ship. But there was still one last surprise for some lucky guests, a brown bear feeding along the shore not far from our landing beach. What a special way to end an exciting day!
