This morning we awoke at the entrance of Red Bluff Bay. Our ship was skillfully maneuvered into the hidden entrance and we greeted the morning. A bald eagle revealed its nest, hidden among the Sitka spruce treetops. Salmon leapt along the shoreline. Numerous waterfalls traced thin white trails down the steep, glacial scoured slopes. A kingfisher chattered as it flew across our bow. An American Dipper was sighted at the water’s edge and as we focused on it, a river otter quickly scurried from the bay and dove into the protective green cover of the forest. These were our observations before going inside for breakfast.

Our morning continued with the sighting of our first humpback whale. Our attentions soon divided with the appearance of a Steller’s sea lion and later, two more humpbacks with salmon slinging sea lions in the background. In the afternoon, we had the option of investigating this intriguing landscape on foot and we hiked the edge of Kelp Bay among bear, deer, eagle and marten footprints. Our options also included a water level view using our fleet of kayaks, as shown in this photo.

It was a day filled with many “first” observations for all of us. We thought we had packed as much as we could into our balmy summer day, but we were mistaken. As we finished dinner and began to fill the lounge for a presentation on the Galapagos Islands, a lunge feeding, fluke flipping humpback whale brought us all on deck for a sunset shaded in soft pastels and a feeding display that would test the best contortionist.

In the diminishing daylight, we applauded our thanks to the whale and bid it goodnight and farewell. This diverse landscape and the creatures that call it home enchant us daily.