This morning we took anchor in the Inian Islands, where the calm air and desirable tidal conditions had us ready for Zodiacs. Where the waters of the islands meet the great Pacific, incredibly powerful and mismatched currents mix to bring colder water, nutrients, and fish species to the surface. The result: a buffet!
As we rode our Zodiacs away from the ship we were greeted with feeding sea lions, otters, and diving gulls. During the excitement one of the Zodiacs spotted a fin in the distance — and moments later the killer whales had arrived. About fifteen of them danced around our Zodiacs, socializing and chasing salmon.
In the afternoon the excitement continued with hikes on George Island. We walked through a young rainforest that opened to striking views of the Pacific, dotted with sea stacks and arches. We made our way to the end of the island to observe the battery, a 6-inch bore artillery gun from WWII. Afterward we loaded into kayaks and Zodiacs once again, watching the killer whales on their journey out to sea.
