It was a gorgeous first day of operations in Southeast Alaska, beginning with plenty of hikes at Lake Eva. We arrived at the beach during a low tide, with barnacles and mussels in full view. We continued into the forest where a variety of singing birds awaited us. In the company of red squirrels and river otters, we hiked through gentle rain, and by the time we had reached the beach again, the tide had risen high on the shore to greet us.
Back aboard, we gathered in the lounge for our first two presentations, one on photography and the other on salmonid species. Naturalists on the bridge spotted humpback whales in Chatham Strait, and we spent roughly half an hour cruising alongside three of the animals.
