Idaho Inlet and Point Adolphus
The morning broke slow and misty as the M/V Sea Bird skirted Lemesurier Island in Icy Strait. Sea otters, harbor porpoise, and all manner of sea birds dotted the horizon as the fog and mist unveiled a magnificent tapestry of sea, islands, and clouds. We were bound for Idaho Inlet, named by Captain W. E. George in 1883 when the excursion steamer Idaho grounded near the head of the inlet, mistakenly thinking it had found a new route to Sitka.
While some chose to kayak around the inlet, several of us opted to walk the meadow and stream in search of charismatic mega-fauna (BEARS!). Our search was rewarded with many clues that brown bears had recently visited this meadow. Half-eaten pink salmon strewn on the banks of a gurgling stream full of running pink salmon, brown bear tracks in the mud, and of course the berry-filled bear scat near the trail – WATCH YOUR STEP! The rain could not dampen our spirits as we gleefully trekked through the waist high grass singing to the bears. Our sighting would have to wait, but our minds saw many bears around each bend…
The afternoon found us anchored near Inian Island, still shrouded in a light drizzle. We quickly launched the Zodiacs and headed towards the open Pacific Ocean looking for Steller sea lions. On a small rocky outcrop we encountered literally hundreds of these huge pinnipeds. They delight in playing a sea lion game where each animal dares the next to swim closer to our inflatable Zodiac, until finally we are surrounded with curious sea lions. With their inquisitive eyes and their necks craning to see into our boat the question arises “just who is checking out whom?”
Our perfect Southeast Alaska day finishes with an amazing whale encounter off Point Adolphus at the north end of Chichagof Island. Ten adult humpback whales and one calf are in tight affiliation and are sub-surface feeding in the placid waters off the point. Feeding sounds reverberate from the nearby hills as these 45-ton creatures dive and work in cooperation to gather their prey. Incredible!
The morning broke slow and misty as the M/V Sea Bird skirted Lemesurier Island in Icy Strait. Sea otters, harbor porpoise, and all manner of sea birds dotted the horizon as the fog and mist unveiled a magnificent tapestry of sea, islands, and clouds. We were bound for Idaho Inlet, named by Captain W. E. George in 1883 when the excursion steamer Idaho grounded near the head of the inlet, mistakenly thinking it had found a new route to Sitka.
While some chose to kayak around the inlet, several of us opted to walk the meadow and stream in search of charismatic mega-fauna (BEARS!). Our search was rewarded with many clues that brown bears had recently visited this meadow. Half-eaten pink salmon strewn on the banks of a gurgling stream full of running pink salmon, brown bear tracks in the mud, and of course the berry-filled bear scat near the trail – WATCH YOUR STEP! The rain could not dampen our spirits as we gleefully trekked through the waist high grass singing to the bears. Our sighting would have to wait, but our minds saw many bears around each bend…
The afternoon found us anchored near Inian Island, still shrouded in a light drizzle. We quickly launched the Zodiacs and headed towards the open Pacific Ocean looking for Steller sea lions. On a small rocky outcrop we encountered literally hundreds of these huge pinnipeds. They delight in playing a sea lion game where each animal dares the next to swim closer to our inflatable Zodiac, until finally we are surrounded with curious sea lions. With their inquisitive eyes and their necks craning to see into our boat the question arises “just who is checking out whom?”
Our perfect Southeast Alaska day finishes with an amazing whale encounter off Point Adolphus at the north end of Chichagof Island. Ten adult humpback whales and one calf are in tight affiliation and are sub-surface feeding in the placid waters off the point. Feeding sounds reverberate from the nearby hills as these 45-ton creatures dive and work in cooperation to gather their prey. Incredible!
