Lake Eva & Cruising Chatham Strait
Wisps of mist danced among the tall dark conifers edging Hanus Bay on the northern end of Baranof Island. Here, the National Geographic Sea Bird set anchor and in Zodiacs we set off to investigate life in and around the rainforest.
Rain and choppy water failed to deter us. It only made our journey more exciting. Droplets of what Southeast Alaskans call “liquid sunshine” served only to further embellish the lush green foliage. Photographers delighted in miniature worlds dripping with jewels on the tops of mossy stumps and beneath the outstretched solar panel-like leaves of the devils club. Birds also celebrated in heavenly hydration. A winter wren, Alaska’s tiniest passerine, sang its song of 240 notes in utter jubilation... or so it sounded. More accurately, it was either proclaiming ownership of a particular plot of land or attempting to attract a female.
Kayaking only further enhanced our level of awareness in this invigoratingly wild place. Rough seas kept us in tune with water currents, wind and the rising tide. Any movement from beneath the waves, whether a flailing fish or curious harbor seal, immediately caught our attention. Bald eagles silently streamed across the sky while squawking ravens insisted that their presence be known. We, on the other hand, were only spectators in this amazing place where only Nature’s rules reign.
Mocking our attuned senses, by afternoon we were granted three of the most coveted sightings in Southeast Alaska! Porpoises, bears, and whales, oh my! Though only for a brief moment, the rooster tail splashes of Dall’s porpoises cut the surface in rapid succession. Moments later, they disappeared into an ominous sea so full of life. Soon it was announced that a mother bear and her two cubs were sighted on a grassy shoreline of Chichagof Island. Peering through binoculars we drank in this wild scene from the bow of the ship. Then, Psssssshhhhhh....a whale emerged from the depths just off the starboard side of the bow. Its deep and rapid inhale and subsequent exhale caused us to quickly swing around to catch sight of this third miraculous sighting. The glistening dorsal fin of a humpback whale slipped down into the dark water. Moments later it surfaced again with another deep and forceful breath.
As the day drew to a close, we found ourselves in whale soup! After dinner we watched fluke after fluke drop beneath the waves. Then it was announced, “Bubble net feeding!” Everyone aboard the ship rushed up to the decks to witness one of this year’s first sightings of cooperative feeding by humpback whales. The hydrophone was deployed to capture their siren call used to frighten their prey fish into a tight ball. As the sound increased in volume, we anticipated their surfacing with great excitement.
We finally retreated to our cabins exhausted and extremely grateful for this opportunity to experience such amazing sights and sounds. I suspect many of us had dreams of wonderful watery worlds.
