Today was a busy day full of fun adventures. We had a beautiful morning on George Island. Half of our group set out on kayaks and paddleboards, and we paddled over kelp forests into little coves, exploring the sea stars, mussels, and anemones of the rocky intertidal. The other half of our group hiked through the lush forest, across the island to the site of a WWII canon perched at a tall lookout, paying homage to a time when there was fear of military invasion in this part of the world.
After lunch we boarded Zodiacs for tours through the wild and woolly Inian Islands. This unique area, where the inside passage meets the open ocean, is one of my favorite places for seeing wildlife. We watched Steller sea lions vie for space on the rocks and hunt for fish in the tidal currents. We saw numerous sea otters floating on their backs, some with fluffy pups on their bellies and some cracking and eating invertebrates. We saw humpbacks blow as they cruised by the steep rock walls. We learned about kelp forests as bald eagles soared overhead. It was a day to remember.
