August 11, 2005

Whales and Watermelon

Submitted from the field by Exploration Leader, Meriwether Gill

Day Five- Point Adolphus & Gustavus

Thursday August 11, 2005

Right after the wake-up call, the search began. We were searching for humpback blows and we hit the jackpot! We spent all morning with an active group of 8-10 humpback whales feeding in the nutrient rich waters of Icy Strait. The highlight of the morning was an unexpected triple breach and numerous caudle peduncle throws (intense tail slapping on the waters surface)! Cameras were clicking at rapid speeds to capture all the excitement.

Lunch was a special treat, Dan Hoppie (Head Chef), barbequed ribs, salmon, hamburgers, and hot dogs up on the sundeck. He finished it off with the world’s best chocolate chip cookies and watermelon.

Then we headed to the small town of Gustavus. A small settlement of pioneers, photographers and sport fisherman who live on what use to be the terminal moraine and out wash of the great glacier that once stood there. Some guests explored the rich intertidal zone, where a half a dozen bald eagles swooped down and pranced along the beach savaging the remains of fish. Others decided to go for about a 1-mile walk down the road to get a glimpse of a town seemingly untouched by time. The remainder of the afternoon was spent cruising and exploring Excursion Inlet and looking at largest cannery in S.E. Alaska called the Excursion Inlet Cannery. Next to the cannery were old ruins of a prisoner of war camp used during World War II. After dinner Peter gave a lecture on the history and likely causes of ice ages, only to be interrupted several times by more whale and sea lion sightings. Before our guests came back down to the lounge they found themselves lost in meditation as the sun set behind the 12-15,000 foot Fairweather Mountains.

Posted by Meriwether on August 11, 2005

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