Freshwater Bay & Lake Eva, Alaska
When breakfast was called, nobody moved. Everyone was transfixed on a dozen humpback whales cooperatively feeding off the bow. What a spectacular feast for the eyes! Naturalist Larry Hobbs explained that of all the humpback whales in the world, this type of teamwork has only been seen here in Southeast Alaska. “bubble-net” feeding is a strategy whereby a group of humpback whales dive in unison, blow a circle of bubbles and then surface explosively to feed on the encircled herring. It doesn’t get better than that. But it did. After our quick breakfast we re-emerged on deck and this time a hydrophone was lowered. With hardly a whisper among us, we listened as the whales emitted an increasingly loud and higher-pitched call until ominously they stopped. Moments later they erupted en masse onto the surface. But there was no way to predict exactly where. The sense of anticipation was exhilarating. Time after time we focused left, and they rose to the right. We focused right, and they rose to the left. Once in a while they’d rise directly before our cameras, their mouths agape – and ours. The whirr of cameras was exceeded only by the whoops of watchers. It doesn’t get better than that. But again, it did. Next came the killer whales. Then a brown bear mother with her cub, and finally a couple of Sitka black-tailed deer on the shore. By 11:00 AM we were pooped. The call to join Kim for his slide program, A Celebration of Alaska, came as a welcome break from non-stop action. Kim spoke elegantly about the healing power of wild places and the lasting friendships that come from sharing adventures in wilderness settings. Shortly afterwards, we began to exchange addresses in hopes that we might meet again on some wild and distant shore.
We enjoyed our afternoon in the company of salmon…hundreds of them. From kayaks and on shore we watched these elegant fish returning to spawn upriver toward Lake Eva. Dappled sunlight fell though the forest and illuminated harbor seals that swam below the kayaks in pursuit of the fish. While the long walkers headed for Lake Eva, a mile away while, others enjoyed a more leisurely pace.
By early evening, we were back on the M/V Seabird for a lively last recap and the Captain’s Farewell Dinner. Our spirits were high as we toasted to a wonderful week and wondered how we would explain Alaska to friends and family back home. As Kim reminded us in quoting Samuel Johnson, “If a person has experienced the inexpressible, he is under no obligation to express it.”
When breakfast was called, nobody moved. Everyone was transfixed on a dozen humpback whales cooperatively feeding off the bow. What a spectacular feast for the eyes! Naturalist Larry Hobbs explained that of all the humpback whales in the world, this type of teamwork has only been seen here in Southeast Alaska. “bubble-net” feeding is a strategy whereby a group of humpback whales dive in unison, blow a circle of bubbles and then surface explosively to feed on the encircled herring. It doesn’t get better than that. But it did. After our quick breakfast we re-emerged on deck and this time a hydrophone was lowered. With hardly a whisper among us, we listened as the whales emitted an increasingly loud and higher-pitched call until ominously they stopped. Moments later they erupted en masse onto the surface. But there was no way to predict exactly where. The sense of anticipation was exhilarating. Time after time we focused left, and they rose to the right. We focused right, and they rose to the left. Once in a while they’d rise directly before our cameras, their mouths agape – and ours. The whirr of cameras was exceeded only by the whoops of watchers. It doesn’t get better than that. But again, it did. Next came the killer whales. Then a brown bear mother with her cub, and finally a couple of Sitka black-tailed deer on the shore. By 11:00 AM we were pooped. The call to join Kim for his slide program, A Celebration of Alaska, came as a welcome break from non-stop action. Kim spoke elegantly about the healing power of wild places and the lasting friendships that come from sharing adventures in wilderness settings. Shortly afterwards, we began to exchange addresses in hopes that we might meet again on some wild and distant shore.
We enjoyed our afternoon in the company of salmon…hundreds of them. From kayaks and on shore we watched these elegant fish returning to spawn upriver toward Lake Eva. Dappled sunlight fell though the forest and illuminated harbor seals that swam below the kayaks in pursuit of the fish. While the long walkers headed for Lake Eva, a mile away while, others enjoyed a more leisurely pace.
By early evening, we were back on the M/V Seabird for a lively last recap and the Captain’s Farewell Dinner. Our spirits were high as we toasted to a wonderful week and wondered how we would explain Alaska to friends and family back home. As Kim reminded us in quoting Samuel Johnson, “If a person has experienced the inexpressible, he is under no obligation to express it.”
