Photography, Travel
The Stellar Sea Lions of the Innius Islands
Eagles, sea otters and cormorants too: our Great Alaskan Adventure continues
We woke to a grey and drizzly morning — “Alaskan Sunshine” they call it. Summer solstice looks a little different here than in the more equatorial realms. But this is what we had come to Alaska for. Our souls were craving a return to the wild places, where the sound of water lapping up against kelp and barnacles echoes through the stillness of the air and where whales and sea lions inhabit remote stretches of the sea.
On board the Safari Endeavor, the small cruise boat run by UnCruise Adventures, we, and fifty-two other passengers, had embarked upon a week of exploring the Inside Passage. We chose this trip because of its remoteness. We would not be stopping in any towns or seeing anything other than untouched wilderness for a week.
I had just purchased my new Nikon Z9, and I had a little trepidation about taking it out in the rain on the small skiff we were journeying out on to see the sea lions of the Innius Islands. But what is the point of having a camera like that if you don’t use it in the places where you most want to?
So, I bundled it into a waterproof dry-bag and off we went, bouncing over the waves and braving the pelting rain.
It would be an understatement to say that eagles were perched on every rocky outcropping or patch of pines. Once you start seeing them, you realize that they are everywhere. The juveniles (photo below) don’t yet bear the characteristic brown-and-white coloring of the adults. Their mottled feathers help them to blend in better. And they are fluffier. That extra down gives them padding for the crash-landings, which are inevitable when you are learning to fly.
Once they reach about five years of age, they begin to display their white heads. Females are about twenty-five percent larger than males and average about twelve pounds, versus the males’ nine pounds. Their wingspans are as wide as seven feet and seven inches.
We were fortunate enough to see an unusual behavior. This juvenile, perched on a craggy cliffside, had spread his wings wide to dry them out between the spells of rain.
You can smell the Stellar Sea Lions before you hear them. And you hear them before you see them. This boisterous crowd is known as a “rookery.”
The cacophony of barks and huffs is almost as overwhelming as the odor emanating from the “haul out” spot. But they don’t seem to mind the smell. And the group dynamics and facial expressions they make while jostling for coveted locations on the rocks can’t help but make you laugh. Someone is constantly getting pushed overboard.
These young pups had the right idea to just stay down by the water and have a little fun.
And this guy decided to have a little “alone time.”
After leaving the rookery, we spotted a couple more eagles, just taking in the day.
Cormorants tend to stay close to their nesting colonies, where they build tall, stacked nests out of whatever plant material they can find. They have even been known to stealing nesting material from one of their unsuspecting neighbors and, sometimes, one bird of the pair will present a piece of grass or seaweed to its mate as a way of strengthening their bond.
This one is carrying nesting material.
And this is where they were nesting.
On the way back to the boat, we passed by one more sea lion “haul out.” This one seemed a little calmer.
And this guy looked like he was meditating.
And, as an added bonus, we stumbled across this “raft” of sea otters. They like to float together when they are resting. It helps them to stay warm. Sometimes they will even hold hands.
And then, we were back to the boat, just in time to dry off for lunch. Our cabin is the first one with the little balcony (to the left). I just loved being almost at sea level. Several mornings on this trip, we awoke to the sound of whales “blowing” just outside of our windows.
Thank you for following along on our journey.
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Erika Burkhalter is a yogi, neurophilosopher, cat-mom, photographer, and lover of travel and nature, spreading her love and amazement for Mother Earth’s glories, one photo, poem or story at a time. (MS Neuropsychology, MA Yoga Studies).
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