What a glorious morning!  As soon as we rounded the point the mountains of Hardwicke Island came into view.  These beautiful 3,000 ft. granite peaks were lit by the morning sun.  The green forested valleys running down their sides were glowing green while the tops still had large snow fields.  It was incredible scenery for cruising.

As the day went on, we spotted multiple groups of humpback whales.  One group had a mom and calf traveling close together.  We watched as they surfaced, spouted, and dove in sync with one another time after time.  Further along we came across a group of four or five whales feeding together.

Rounding the south side of Campania Island the wind picked up and we traveled through lumpy seas for the last bit of the trip today.  Adding to the excitement, Deception responded to a mayday call from a nearby vessel taking on water.  Everything turned out to be fine and soon we were all anchored safely in McMicking Inlet.  Our crews all handled the rough seas well and since the waves were coming head on, the ride wasn’t too bad.  As Vivian would say, “life’s an adventure!”

McMicking Inlet is a beautiful rugged anchorage with a very unique look to it.  Unlike most areas in the Pacific Northwest, white sandy beaches stretch along the shoreline here.  The light bottom creates the most beautiful turquoise color in the shallows.  Vivid green cedars grow on shore and rocky bluffs and hillsides dominate the island.

After a full day on the water, our crews were happy to spend a night on board.  The afternoon remained breezy but by evening the wind was dying down.  Our boats were facing due west with a perfect sunset view.  It was lovely to end the day sitting on deck and watching the sky turn pink and orange.