This morning our expedition ship brought us to an anchorage in a sheltered cove of the Inian Islands. These islands reside within Icy Strait, so named by explorer George Vancouver in 1794 for the massive amounts of glacial ice choking this passage during his voyage. Today the ice is gone, but the fjord is still an area of intensive oceanic and wildlife activity. Strong tidal changes create conditions ideal for Steller sea lions, bald eagles, sea otters, and gulls to capture prey. The clouds ebb and flow like the tides, sometimes bringing rain, sometimes bringing rays of sunshine.
5/7/2025
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National Geographic Sea Lion
Inian Islands, Port Althorp
The Inian Islands invoke sheer joy and excitement among the naturalists, which in turn, is transferred to the guests. We set out in Zodiacs, traversing in nearly unprecedented calm conditions through the narrow Mosquito Pass, then around North Inian Island. We observed over a dozen bald eagles and sea lions waiting for the inrushing tide to bring fish to the surface for easy pickings. We also saw a couple of male sea otters peacefully lying on the surface while fluffing up their fur to introduce air for insulation (they don’t have blubber). The weather was classic Alaska…sun grading to rain…then to partly cloudy. In the afternoon, we traveled to Port Althorp for kayaking and hikes. Again, very calm conditions with intermittent sun and rain. The hikes were beautiful, winding across the mud flats and into the thick rainforest painted with several shades of green. Bear trails were observed and used by us as convenient paths to follow. Kayakers slowly paddled across glassy water to enjoy the peace and solitude. The day ended with soft sun.
