Elfin Cove to Dundas Bay

We woke to another beautiful, sunny Alaskan day! The stately, snow capped peaks of the Fairweather range created a backdrop so picturesque it almost appeared fake in the morning light. With the binoculars we could see the enormous ice flows throughout the range. A late start today meant that we had time to stretch our legs on shore once more before departing Elfin Cove. A few of our crews headed back up to the store for some last-minute souvenirs and provisions.

Once under way, we took the scenic route out around George Island, admiring the sculpted sea stacks and arches on the island’s west side. Tucking through the small cluster of Inian islands we spotted a large Stellar sea lion rookery on the rocks. There were a couple of large bull sea lions surrounded by many smaller females and pups.

We arrived in Dundas bay in the early afternoon under bright blue skies. It was the first time that any of the Deception crew had been here on a clear day and we were all blown away by the mountain views that were visible right from where we dropped our hooks for the night. The bay was also full of rafts of sea otters, which we hadn’t seen before either! It was really fun to spend the afternoon watching the otters go about their business in the bay. Our crews were shocked to learn that these otters spend almost their entire lives in the water including feeding, sleeping and giving birth.

The crews of Arctic Star, Bonum Vitae and Janet from Thea all joined us in their dinghies for a wildlife watching tour around the bay. Our efforts were greatly rewarded with two close sightings of black bears along the shoreline. The rest of the crews still hadn’t gotten enough fishing in and immediately set out to catch more. The fishing was slow, but the incredible scenery made up for it by far. The guys on Eldean enjoyed a dinner fresh caught king salmon from the day before’s fishing trip cooked on a cedar plank provided by the Thea crew.

We watched the sun set beyond the mountains in our peaceful secluded anchorage surrounded by nothing but wilderness. We were hopeful about stargazing on this perfectly clear night, but when midnight rolled around still looking like twilight it was time to call it and go to bed. Stargazing in Alaska is a winter hobby!

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