sailed south through the night and we woke as we sailed through Behm Canal toward Rudyard Bay. Surrounded by Misty Fiords National Monument, we detoured toward a scenic bay called “The Punchbowl.” The steep, rocky cliffs we saw there were a good introduction to the rest of the day—everywhere we went, the scenery was amazing.
Because we were on a photo expedition, we took advantage of all photo opportunities. We worked through logistics to make sure that those who wanted photos of the iconic places we visited could compose their own versions of the images they sought. Before crossing a narrow part of the fjord known as Owl Pass, we sailed ahead in expedition landing crafts to position ourselves where we could photograph the ship with the iconic rock as a background.
We later deployed our kayaks and expedition landing crafts for scenic cruises. The weather conditions were stunning, and the water was like a mirror. One of the highlights was the huge number of bald eagles we saw. It was late in the season, and the last salmon run in this area was about to end. The bald eagles were taking full advantage of the availability of food that the salmon rivers were still providing.
As we carefully approached a couple of eagles on the beach, some of the kayakers got close encounters with these majestic birds. We were lucky to see one of the eagles pick up a fish and perch not too far from us. We watched it for a long time, as it fed while standing on a moss-covered branch, and took amazing images of one of Alaska’s most iconic birds.
