Each boat started the day off with an early morning delivery of personal sized carrot cakes that could have been featured on the cover of Bon Appetit. Cheryl on Thea had arranged it with the Cannery Cove Lodge chef in celebration of Megan’s twenty-sixth birthday! Happy Birthday, Megan! What an exceptional part of the world to be celebrating your special day. Thank you, Thea, for the amazing dessert.

We are passing through Fredrick Sound, famous for humpback whale sightings but today’s forecast isn’t optimum sighting conditions. Rainy (we are in a rain forest after all) with some chop but, the Grand Banks are built for comfort, so it was a comfortable passage.

The crew on Arctic Star, determined to spot whales, made the first announcement as Bo came over the radio to announce a sighting. The flotilla slowed a bit to view the whales but, compared to yesterday’s show surrounded by whales in calm seas, today wasn’t as captivating. As the rest of the flotilla resumed our speed, Arctic Star, ever hopeful, decided to hang back for a possible sighting. Apparently, it paid off as they witnessed a few breeches and pec-slaps and later caught back up with the fleet.

Along the way, the question came up, “Who was “Fredrick” anyway? Jane took some time to research the question with the resources available on the boat (no Google here) but could find no answer. Andy, ever the story teller, entertained the fleet with his version of Fredrick the Great and his demand that all important places and events be named after him. Hence, we have not only Fredrick Sound but also, Right-Said-Fred, Freddy Mercury and of course, Fred Flintstone.

We entered Thomas Bay through a narrow opening between two buoys marking the submerged terminal moraines left by the Baird Glacier after it receded long ago. The Baird glacier is still visible further up the valley but is no longer a tidewater glacier. The waters of the bay are turquoise blue from the glacial flour and glassy calm. We passed by Ruth Island and headed for a more protected anchorage near the south end of the bay. The forecast for tomorrow predicts windy conditions and we might end up taking a layover day here.

After settling in, dinghies are launched and crab pots are set. Looks like we are in for a quiet, calm night while the winds  and seas build out in Fredrick Sound.