We started our journey together today and it was a beautiful Southeast Alaska morning. We woke to a soft rain and low hanging clouds in Tracy Arm. Before breakfast we encountered a shy black bear on the shore followed by a much less shy black bear sow with her two cubs. We had clear views of these gorgeous bears and watched them forage along the shore.
After we did some foraging of our own, we had the opportunity to explore the icy waters of this scenic fjord in our expedition landing crafts. The brilliant blue icebergs floated between steep cliff faces filled with hidden waterfalls and the massive face of Sawyer glacier made an impressive backdrop. We saw glimpses of harbor porpoises and the slick heads of harbor seals in the water and we scanned the hills for mountain goats. Humming birds buzzed around waterfalls and pigeon guillemots floated on the water impressing us with their vibrant red legs.
After we warmed our limbs and filled our bellies with chili and cornbread we went ashore at Williams cove and took our first walks in the temperate rainforest. Our fantastic naturalist staff introduced us to some of the common inhabitants of this unique forest environment. Here are a few of the important things we learned on our first trip onshore; avoid touching the thorny devil’s club, appreciate the abundance of late summer blueberries, never doubt that a bear’s diet includes sedges and barnacles, and rest assured that Pete and Gretchen will always get you back to the ship – even if it takes a little longer than they planned!
