Mother Goose Leg 3, Day 6 – Coronation Island to Redfish Bay

We arose this morning and said goodbye to the beautiful Coronation Island. Misty clouds threaded across the rocky top of Pin Peak and the waters of Egg Harbor lay completely still. Not a breath of wind stirred the ocean’s surface as we hauled anchor and cruised north out of the bay towards Baranof Island. A long stretch of open ocean lay between us and our destination, so for the first few hours we cruised with Southeast Alaska on our right and Japan off to our left. Fortunately for us, the weather could not have been more ideal for such a crossing. A few gentle swells rolled in from the North Pacific, creating only a slight rising and falling motion and doing nothing to disturb the glassy surface of the water. The seabirds were out in full force. We saw common murres, rhinoceros auklets, horned puffins, a sooty shearwater and we were even visited by a few black-footed albatross. These giant birds looked almost prehistoric, like huge pterodactyls soaring across the ocean. Each bird circled our boat a number of times before sailing off into the distance. It really was a treat to get to see these incredible birds in their natural habitat.

Due to the great weather, the long crossing was both fast and smooth. Humpback whales were spouting left and right and, just before we reached the southern tip of Baranof, a group of Dall’s porpoise came racing up to the fleet and began riding on our bow waves. The incredible wildlife sightings continued as we cruised up the west coast of Baranof Island, passing a number of Steller sea lion haul outs. These enormous marine mammals climb up on isolated rocks to dry off and rest between hunting trips. Their huge, tawny bodies were strewn across the rocks by the dozen. Here and there, a large bull stood prominently, tilting his head back toward the sky and posturing for all of the disinterested females around him. We left these large, lazy pinnipeds to their lolling and continued up the coast.

Shortly before reaching Redfish Bay we made a detour, turning right into Puffin Bay and onward into Forevergreen Basin. This tiny, secluded anchorage sits in the shadow of a ring of huge, green mountains. The peaks are treeless and covered in what looks like an alpine meadow. The crew of Navigator made the astute observation that it felt like sitting on a boat in an alpine lake somewhere in the Cascade Mountains. After soaking in the scenery, we turned around and headed back out Puffin Bay toward our destination for the evening.

Forevergreen Basin was incredibly beautiful, but Redfish Bay left little to be desired in terms of scenery. Forested hillsides swept downward to the water’s edge and, at the head of the bay, a lush green meadow spread along the shore where a creek flowed in. All around us salmon were jumping, gathering in the estuary to prepare for their journey upstream to spawn. We anchored the boats and enjoyed a relaxing afternoon. Some people chose to kayak, while others explored in their dinghies. In the evening, we were amazed to see an enormous brown bear step out onto the shore near the mouth of the stream. This behemoth made his way slowly down the beach, walking steadily and surely. Every now and then he lifted his nose to test the air, but he did not seem to be bothered by our presence. We snapped photos and watched the large predator through binoculars before he finally disappeared in the forest. What an incredible way to end a fantastic wildlife day in Southeast Alaska!