Guests aboard National Geographic Sea Lion arose this morning to a misty dawn as we entered Chatham Strait. Steller sea lions hauled out on the channel buoy and bald eagles stood sentry on the shorelines. We observed humpback whales on the east side of the straight later in the morning. Several whales were individually bubble net feeding, and a few were logging at the surface and engaging in the occasional pectoral flipper slap. Slap does not seem to be the most apt way to describe this behavior, however, as a 14-foot flipper is a serious piece of lumber when it hits the water.
Sitkoh Bay was our afternoon destination for kayaking and hiking, plus a late afternoon swim for the hardy. The intrepid hikers enjoyed some truly impressive old growth trees in this forest.
