Day 5: Basket Bay & Iyoukeen Cove
We woke up to liquid sunshine, a lot of it. The crew reminded us that rain is a vital component of any temperate rain forest. We got up just in time for breakfast. We struggled to get up, still groggy. But breakfast waits for no passenger so we rallied.
Our breakfast choices were Bananas Foster pancakes or a Denver omelette with ham, cheese, pepper and onion. The weather forecast of 100% chance of rain had me and Griffin feeling lethargic. We skipped the open paddle and opted to snuggle instead. Kudos to JL and Eliza who braved a downpour to get out on the water. They paddled for about 90-minutes, exploring Basket Bay.
They got back on board in time to quickly change for lunch. The chef served arepa with pulled pork, black bean puree and coleslaw salad. We had a brownie sundae for dessert.
Captain Doug was dropping anchor about that time and incidentally picked a good spot for whale watching. About an hour after our arrival, we heard an announcement over the loudspeaker that humpback whales were spotted alongside the ship, bubble net feeding. That’s when a group of whales works together to collectively feed. They swim underwater, pushing the smaller fish to the surface, then the whales gobble them up. We stood watching for a long time, as our excursion time approached. We waited for instructions. Suddenly we were told to hurry to the skiffs. We boarded quickly and got closer (although also at a respectable distance) from the whales.
Photo: UnCruise Adventures 
Photo: UnCruise Adventures 
Photo: UnCruise Adventures
Wow! It was amazing. As we approached, two whales breached the surface, leaping high into the air before splashing down again. We watched as the whales surfaced, spouting water from their blow holes and then diving back down again, waving their tales at us as they went under. It was incredible to be so close to these majestic animals. At one point, we heard a loud roar as the whales were communicating above the surface. Even our guides admitted that was a rarity and something they’d only seen – make that heard – once before. We were captivated and could have watched all day, but it was time to make our way to shore.
The skiff captain dropped us off. From there, our group followed our guide into the woods. We ambled over some rocks to get there, it was a bushwhack, after all. We climbed through some brush and arrived inside a wide open forest, alive with bright green moss and huge ferns. We wandered around for some time, stumbling upon eagle feathers, a bird carcass, bear prints, bear scat (that’s the scientific word for poop) and lots of wild mushrooms and berries. We even managed to hug some trees and kiss a banana slug. All in a day’s adventures with UnCruise. After being on the ship all day, my son loved running through the woods. He balanced on logs, stood on stumps and enjoyed stomping on branches as he hiked along. We eventually found our way back to the shoreline and the skiff arrived to pick us up. We scoured the water for the group of whales, but it appeared they’d moved on.
Because of the extra time spent whale watching, happy hour was already underway when we arrived back on the ship. We munched on cookies, chips and salsa, and other little bites. After learning what was in store for the day ahead, we got signed up for some adventures.
During the news hour the winner of the ice melt challenge was announced. Drumroll, please! My husband made the closest guess. He won a small prize and a round of applause.
Dinner was now being served so we headed down to the dining room. The available entrees were cod with miso dressing or a New Zealand rack of lamb with pistachio pesto dressing, both served with wild rice and snap peas. Dessert was a chocolate cupcake topped with caramel corn.
After our meal, Karissa, one of the guides, shared a presentation about the Giant Pacific Octopus. She shared all kinds of details about this highly intelligent and fascinating creature. It’s clear when listening to the guides talk that they’re passionate, and knowledgeable, about their subject matter.
Just as we were getting our pajamas on, one last announcement over the loudspeaker about some more humpback sightings off the bow. We headed out to the deck once more and watched the whales for a bit, as the sun was setting on another busy day in Southeast Alaska.
Click below on “6” to read about Day 6 and our favorite meal of the week.
