Today we awoke at our anchorage in Haines, Alaska. The area around Haines was called Dtehshuh, or “end-of-the-trail” by the Chilkat group of the Tlingit. It received this name because they could portage their canoes via the trail they used to trade with the interior. The trail began at the outlet of the Chilkat River, ended at Dtehuhu, and saved 20 miles of paddling around the Chilkat Peninsula. Many different excursions were available today, including hiking, river rafting, biking, and fly fishing. If you desired, you could also explore the quaint fishing town and, if one was so inclined, visit the local brewery and distillery. There are many historical buildings and totem poles scattered around the town. The weather was dry and even sunny at times but, interestingly, it rained for about an hour in the middle of the day. Southeast Alaska always keeps us on our toes. We wrapped up the day with an amazing crab feast! It was a delicious end to a magical day.
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.