Red Bluff Inlet and Bears

This morning we wake just as the boat arrives to Red Bluff inlet. As we come into the narrow passageway, we see a bear on shore hanging around our activities today are either a shot kayak or a dib boat ride, or a long kayak into the back of the cove. We opt again for the long kayak and set off in our same group, plus a few (after our great luck with wildlife spotting, I think some people decided to join us). We paddle for a ways along the shore, being quiet so we don’t scare a bear if we encounter one. The sides of this canyon are steep and gorgeous with many waterfalls bringing melted snow down. We paddle up close at the foot of a large waterfall. You are so close you can feel the spray on you’re face. Net we approach the rear and spot one large brown bear hanging out along the shoreline. We paddle up as close as we can (you can’t get too close as bears are very good swimmers) and stop for about ten minutes to watch him. There we spot another brown bear off to the left, crossing the stream. It is so amazing to see wildlife like this in its natural habitat. So pristine and surreal on the paddle back a seal pops its head up to say hi. After 2.5 hours we return to the boat.

After returning to the boat, we spend the afternoon just relaxing and watching for whales off the bow as the ship motors south. We spot some about 100 ft from the main vessel and get some amazing whale tale shots and videos. This evening they did a small presentation about how the boat mechanically works and what some of the holds look like. And then had a movie night in the lounge after dinner.