Safari Spirit, Day 5: Red Bluff Bay, Chasing Orcas & Baranof Warm Springs

It's Wednesday and we're visiting Baranof Island today. It's lovely here with the shore cliffs punctuated by spectacular waterfalls. Early this morning, we explored Red Bluff Bay via kayak and skiff. I didn't feel like getting in the kayak so Len partnered with Dan Blanchard. Since Dan is the CEO of American Safari, certain rules didn't necessarily apply to him...like staying four feet away from the shore while kayaking. The intrepid duo stepped out on shore when they caught sight of a young bear. The poor thing looked a bit thin and was definitely wary of the visitors. Len snapped a few photos and then it was back in the kayak while the bear meandered off into the woods.

After lunch we all experienced an amazing once-in-a-lifetime gift from the Alaskan wildlife: we were able to follow an orca pod, traveling quite fast, for nearly half an hour. Just magic! We first saw the pod from the deck of the Safari Spirit. Once Nitakuwa saw how many orcas were out there—and that they were breaching—she and Danny loaded us into the skiff and raced off to get closer.

As we approached, we saw that a baby was among the pod and that they were traveling parallel to the shore...as if they had someplace important to be. Our skiff mirrored their speed and heading and we were treated to something very few people ever see. Stunning doesn't even begin to describe the experience. When the skiff started running low on fuel, we had to turn back, but the orcas kept right on going.


Next we sailed to the very small town of Baranof Springs. There is only one yearround resident and about 25 residents in the summer. The activity here was a hike to Baranof Warm Springs. While that sounded like fun, Len and I wanted to relax so we stayed behind with Captain Tate and Chef Dave. It was like having our own private yacht!

Later in the evening we anchored at Takatz Cove, also on Baranof Island. Another delicious dinner from Chef Dave and then lights out. We're entering bear country now and we're hoping for another encounter tomorrow. —Andrea

Photos © Leonard Hospidor and may not be used without permission