We woke to another clear, beautiful day in Tracy Arm Cove, complete with another visit from the same young bear that we saw the day before.  With fewer miles to cover today, we were able to sleep in and enjoy a quiet morning.

We hadn’t been underway long before we saw the spouts of humpback whales in the distance!  With steep mountains full of alpine glaciers in the background, and the spouts of whales breaking the calm, glassy waters in front of us the day couldn’t have been off to a better start.  Our luck continued as Discovery spotted a killer whale close to their boat.  At first it seemed to be a solitary male, but as we rounded a point a few moments later the group saw two more dorsal fins.  The rest of a small pod of transient killer whales.

We cruised down through Stephen’s Passage with the water so calm that it was hard to tell where the water met the horizon.  The calm water was perfect for spotting more wildlife. We saw humpback whales, harbor porpoise, seals and many different types of diving birds.  The entrance to Pybus bay was full of small reefs and kelp beds, but our crews navigated through like pros with a little guidance from Captain Rich.

Cannery Cove is a great anchorage at the foot of a beautiful mountain valley.  The surrounding mountains are lushly forested giving an almost Jurassic feel to the area.  A small stream empties into the cove and the mouth of the stream was swarming with activity.  Salmon were congregating in the shallow water and sea lions and eagles were feeding on them.

Our crews were happy to get in on the action as well.  Once anchored and rafted we all headed out in dinghies to explore and fish.  Ansel on Grand Adventure was the only one who had any real luck, pulling in a 15-20 pound salmon!  The rest of us had a lot of fun setting crab pots and Grand Adventure and Inception even caught enough for dinner.  Randy and Nives went kayaking for the first time and did great!  Discovery joined Deception for dinner this evening.  We all spent a wonderful evening enjoying delicious meals in a beautiful and remote setting.