Alaska Trip: Day 5

It was a drizzly morning, but that didn't stop us from watching for whales!  We saw a few this morning and Geraldine and I even heard one make some noise.

We spent quite a while this afternoon at George Island.  We had the opportunity to both hike and skiff/kayak, but I was really sleepy today (not sure why), so I passed on the hike and ended up going out on 2 separate skiff rides (one with Mom and one just with Denee).  On the first trip, we circumnavigated the whole island.  It was quite an adventure since for part of the way we were out in the open Pacific Ocean.  We could really tell as the swells and waves got quite a bit bigger and the winds picked up.  There was also a lot of kelp in the water, so that definitely kept Denee on her toes navigating us through it.  We mostly spotted birds and a few seals popped their heads up along the way.

My favorite part of exploring today was discovering so many beautiful, peaceful, secluded coves and beaches as we made our way around George Island.  There was a bit more traffic (other boats and even a seaplane) around since we were near Elfin Cove, a small outpost for fisherman on land that has places to restock along with a cafe/bakery/pizzeria.  I really enjoyed our time at George Island.

As we were leaving, a boat came in to pick up some white bags left along the shore.  We're pretty sure they were materials left to create board walks along various hiking trails on the islands in the area.  I decided to sit out on the bow as we left George Island to enjoy the beautiful sunny day.  I even left my hair loose (it's been back most of the trip) to enjoy the wind rushing through it.  Now that I'm home, I must say that is one of the things I miss most about being out on the water: just sitting on the bow with the wind blowing through my hair enjoying a beautiful day.  If only I could do it every day!  I don't think I've regretted moving away from the ocean more than I have after this trip.  I spotted a whale randomly surfacing with seeing it exhale, but it disappeared again after that one time. 

I went inside when I got a bit chilly to warm up, but I wasn't inside long before we spotted more whales, so it was back out to the bow!  Sean got us a bit closer to the whales, but no close encounters quite like yesterday.

Pictures below (click to enlarge!)

Shots of whale tail as it dives

Interesting rock formation on George Island

Rock Arch from both sides

Cove/Beach on George Island

Stairs from back of bridge deck up to observation deck

Door to the inside on bridge deck (the level where our cabin was located)

Boat approaching George Island

View leaving George Island