Adventure, noun; any event or happening that requires fortitude and footwear. Smaller animals may require provisions and, certainly, a smackerel or two. - The Pooh Dictionary
Christopher Robin was sitting outside his door, putting on his big boots. As soon as he saw the big boots, Pooh knew that an adventure was going to happen, and he brushed the honey off his nose with the back of his paw, and spruced himself up as well as he could, so as to look ready for anything.
Aboard the Sea Lion we'd become used to putting on our boots to get ready for an adventure each day. Today we awoke to a gray sky and low clouds, the waters of Idaho Inlet disturbed by the occasional blustery wind from the west. Sea otters dotted the surface out ahead and we eased closer and whispered and laughed at their antics. Unlike other marine mammals, they do not have a fatty layer to maintain body temperature. Instead, they have luxurious and thick fur that provides the insulation that allows them to survive in cold waters.
During breakfast the Sea Lion anchored at nearby George Island at the western end of Icy Strait. We were able to circle the island by Zodiac and explore ashore on foot. Boots and rain gear were the order of the day as the mist that defines Southeast Alaska dominated the morning's weather. The inter-tidal zone revealed sea stars in a rainbow of colors, forests of bull kelp lined the shore and a muddy trail led the hikers inland.
Following lunch we made a brief stop in the tiny boardwalk community of Elfin Cove at the very northern end of Chichigof Island. There are just a handful of Alaskans who call this little village home year round. In the summer the fishing lodges fill and the harbor is active with an array of boats.
Our plan was to scan the waters of Icy Straits in the latter part of the day for humpback whales. Our search was rewarded quickly and grandly. Perhaps 20 whales were visible in all directions. Small groups became larger groups and then dispersed again as the whales followed the current line where concentrations of prey can be found. We were treated to an hour or more of whale watching that included lunge feeding at the surface and synchronized fluking as they dove. As a final display six or seven of the 40 ton cetaceans surfaced beneath our bows to port, passed beneath the Sea Lion and surfaced again to starboard. Camera lenses and excited faces were misted by their blows. Adventure indeed!
