Long fronds of all three of the largest species of kelp –bull, dragon and giant- in the Pacific northwest covered a big part of the calm waters near our anchorage at the Inian islands; beneath the glassy surface kelp form extensive underwater forests that provide food and shelter for a number of creatures, from sea urchins and nudibranchs to sea otters and harbor seals. Many different species of sea stars crawl on top of their holdfasts and on the lower portions of their stipes, including rose, blood and velcro stars; the heavy-weight champion of the sea star world, the sunflower star, prowls on the bottom looking for pretty much everything it can catch, from clams and barnacles to other sea stars and even the occasional fish. All that and more I witnessed before breakfast this morning while SCUBA diving and documented it on video to share with everybody on board during recap.
During the morning we all explored the small archipelago of the Inians using our expedition landing craft. Located between the larger Chichagof Island and the Fairweather Range, the Inians are well known for the productivity of the waters around them. We watched many of the creatures that call them home, including bald eagles, pigeon guillemots, tufted puffins, and pelagic cormorants. We also got the chance to observe numerous sea otters, harbor seals, and Steller’s sea lion. The later ones were particularly conspicuous with their loud roaring, big numbers, and pungent smell. Being the biggest sea lion species on earth, a big male Steller’s could grow to be one thousand pounds heavier than a record-size brown bear and swim with the agility and speed to catch salmon and other slippery fish.
The National Geographic Sea Lion sailed to Idaho Inlet during lunch and anchored off Fox Creek at the northern part of Chichagof Island. There we spent a wonderful afternoon kayaking, hiking through the temperate rain forest, and watching pink salmon in the river, all while enjoying the wonderful weather of a cloudless sky. Not very typical of the area, but none the less enjoyable, making for a great end of our second full day in southeast Alaska!
