Today we anchored in Kelp Bay for some outside activities on and around Pond Island. This bay has many islets which host perfect habitats for harbor seals- a great chance to step into a kayak and see the wildlife up close. Coordinating this site at a low tide allowed for kayakers to see creatures that usually reside below the water's surface. Others got their blood pumping by going on a series of hikes through the island, tramping through bog muskegs and past beaver dams.
While the guests were pleasantly warm and dry, enjoying what was above the water's edge, a couple of our staff went on a scuba dive to explore what life was in the depths below. This is just one of the thousands of invertebrate species found in association with a kelp forest. These nutrient rich waters provide food for the entire ecosystem.
As we departed from Kelp Bay and made our way south, into Chatham Straight with naturalists on the bow as lookouts. It wasn't long before they spotted a group of humpback whales bubble net foraging. Observing this behavior is a treat- as it was only relatively recent that it was first observed, in the 1980's. We watched this behavior for about a half an hour, until the cold wind forced us inside for some warm beverages. We sailed towards the picturesque Kasnyku Falls, which we were able to get incredibly close to with our vessel.
We wrapped up the night by listening to the director of the Alaska Whale Foundation, Dr. Andy Szabo. He shed insight on the behavior of these whales, and presented the history of the humpbacks here in Southeast Alaska in relations to the whaling industry.
