Dawn broke unassumingly, like an eagle pausing briefly on a cerulean blue iceberg, seemingly without a care in the world. We glided past nature’s sculpted ice castles as scotters, murrelets and loons flew furtively over the scalloped surface of the sea. The thunderous calvings of the glacier were underscored by the occasional call of a seal pup, voicing an undecipherable concern. Countless unnamed waterfalls cascaded around us in every direction. Their origins were all unique and unseen, but their destinations all shared as one.
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.