Today we made our first expedition landing and visited Cascade Creek. The creek was flowing prodigiously, roaring loudly, and producing a lot of mist. Hikes differed in strenuousness and length, and a couple of groups even did some bushwhacking in the rainforest. The National Geographic Sea Lion then sailed down toward Baird Glacier and Scenic Cove where some of us hiked on the outwash plain in a field of blooming Nookta lupine while others took advantage of the opportunity to kayak and paddleboard.
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.
