May 15th

We cruised by New Bella Bella and continued around the corner to the end of the bay behind Shearwater for the night. A father and daughter came out from shore in their two-man kayak to say Hello and chat with us for a while. They said that the locals were successfully catching Halibut and Ling Cod in the area right now.

During the evening we were watching TV when the depth sounder indicated a large object traveling slowly under Sea Mist at depths of 16 to 24 feet. We were rocked slightly as I watched the long image glide smoothly under our hull……whale?

Shortly before lunch we were commenting on the lack of whale sightings in Fitz Hugh Sound this year as compared to last year. Within minutes Chris spotted this Humpback just ahead. I surfaced twice and then disappeared.

We have seen very few other pleasure craft on the water since leaving Puget Sound but as we enter the major channels leading to Alaska we are beginning to encounter cruise ships. According to the AIS system, this one is called “Disney Wonder” and claims to have a famous mouse onboard.

Before leaving Kwakume Inlet we took one last look at the snow covered peak of the beautifully triangular Mount Buxton rising some 9,000 feet above sea level. This Inlet has to be one of our favorite places to anchor.

For those who have queried, Miss Tiki is doing well. She would no doubt prefer to be basking in the mid day heat and shade of the palm tree in the back yard of our Tucson home. It has been too cold for her to spend any time outside on the deck so she has been spending most of her time lounging in her first class, climate controlled stateroom on the galley level of Sea Mist. For a land loving Russian Tortoise making her way to Alaska by boat, I must say she has been a pretty good sport thus far. She ordered a mixed veggie plate with a leaf of Romaine for lunch today.