Inian Pass and George Island
When telling family and friends at home that you are on an Alaskan cruise, it’s important to make the distinction that while, yes, technically, you are on a ship, and some cruising is involved, what we have been doing this week aboard the M.V. Sea Lion is more than just typical sightseeing. We are involved in something more than just a cruise – we are on an expedition, and we are right in the middle of all the wildlife action!
We began today with whale activity just off Pt. Adolphus. The early morning light was beautiful, the plumes of humpback breaths hanging in the still, morning air. Eagles were everywhere – on the shore, in the trees, and in the air – diving and plunging into the swirling, productive waters, sometimes fighting with one another for the fish. Not to be outdone by the whales and eagles, harbor porpoises and gangs of Steller’s sea lions (a shameless, roving band of thugs!) cavorted in the water.
Continuing north, we came into North Inian Pass, a narrow waterway connecting Cross Sound and Icy Strait. Quite a bit of water flows through this area from the open Pacific, and when the tide changes, the water swirls and shoots rapidly through the pass, creating churning eddies. With all the water flooding in and out, carrying nutrients along and trapping fish in currents, Inian Pass is a very productive area. Again we spotted sea lions, and we also spied sea otters, kittiwakes and pelagic cormorants.
Later in the morning the Sea Lion anchored in protected Granite Cove, off George Island. Aboard our vessel we have the tools necessary for a successful expedition: a team of natural history staffers, Zodiacs, and kayaks. We set out to explore this island first by foot, then later by small watercraft. George Island lies at the entrance of the Gulf of Alaska, and those who hiked to the far side of the island were rewarded with a view that stretched miles out into Cross Sound. Zodiac cruisers circumnavigated the island, marveling at the rocky outcroppings carved out by the pounding waves. Kayakers tucked into coves and crevices as bald eagles soared above.
And if all this wildlife action was not enough to sate our appetites for the day, as the ship made its way into Dundas Bay, a bear was spotted foraging in a meadow. Abandoning our own dinners, we watched the gorgeous, glossy black bear search for its supper…a little further along a very large brown bear let us accompany him. We coasted beside him for at least a mile, so close we could hear the sounds of his claws scraping along on the rocky shore.
When telling family and friends at home that you are on an Alaskan cruise, it’s important to make the distinction that while, yes, technically, you are on a ship, and some cruising is involved, what we have been doing this week aboard the M.V. Sea Lion is more than just typical sightseeing. We are involved in something more than just a cruise – we are on an expedition, and we are right in the middle of all the wildlife action!
We began today with whale activity just off Pt. Adolphus. The early morning light was beautiful, the plumes of humpback breaths hanging in the still, morning air. Eagles were everywhere – on the shore, in the trees, and in the air – diving and plunging into the swirling, productive waters, sometimes fighting with one another for the fish. Not to be outdone by the whales and eagles, harbor porpoises and gangs of Steller’s sea lions (a shameless, roving band of thugs!) cavorted in the water.
Continuing north, we came into North Inian Pass, a narrow waterway connecting Cross Sound and Icy Strait. Quite a bit of water flows through this area from the open Pacific, and when the tide changes, the water swirls and shoots rapidly through the pass, creating churning eddies. With all the water flooding in and out, carrying nutrients along and trapping fish in currents, Inian Pass is a very productive area. Again we spotted sea lions, and we also spied sea otters, kittiwakes and pelagic cormorants.
Later in the morning the Sea Lion anchored in protected Granite Cove, off George Island. Aboard our vessel we have the tools necessary for a successful expedition: a team of natural history staffers, Zodiacs, and kayaks. We set out to explore this island first by foot, then later by small watercraft. George Island lies at the entrance of the Gulf of Alaska, and those who hiked to the far side of the island were rewarded with a view that stretched miles out into Cross Sound. Zodiac cruisers circumnavigated the island, marveling at the rocky outcroppings carved out by the pounding waves. Kayakers tucked into coves and crevices as bald eagles soared above.
And if all this wildlife action was not enough to sate our appetites for the day, as the ship made its way into Dundas Bay, a bear was spotted foraging in a meadow. Abandoning our own dinners, we watched the gorgeous, glossy black bear search for its supper…a little further along a very large brown bear let us accompany him. We coasted beside him for at least a mile, so close we could hear the sounds of his claws scraping along on the rocky shore.
