On our small ship cruise through Alaska’s Inside Passage on Thursday we stayed in Fords Terror all day until we could leave on the slack tide in the late afternoon. We were blessed with weather that was unusually warm and sunny for Alaska. With took advantage of the opportunity to have fun in the fjord.

For the first time in my life I paddled in a kayak. Captain Jeff Behrens had devised a system to board and depart for kayaks that is so stable that I even risked taking one of my cameras on the kayak. In the event, only my sleeve got wet, and that was only because I reached down a few inches into the ocean to grab a sea urchin.

A Sea Urchin in My Hand

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Even the captain went kayaking.

Jeff Kayaks

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The "Island Spirit" from the Kayak

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Then, in the afternoon 10 of us went out even further into the fjord in an inflatable pontoon boat.

Parkie in His Lifejacket on the Boat

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Fords Terror is full of waterfalls and steep cliffs. Like this.

Water Falls into Fords Terror

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Fords Terror is Terribly Steep

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From the boat I got my favorite shots of the day as we approached a pair of Harlequin Ducks. Like many birds, the male is more attractive, so that’s the one I photographed.

A Male Harlequin Duck

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He Flies

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We departed Fords Terror and the Endicott Arm itself in the late afternoon. That took us into the much wider Stephens Passage. While not as dramatic as Fords Terror, this gave us the chance to watch a pair of Humpback Whales moving along with us.

A Humpback Whale Raises its Tail to Dive

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We anchored for the night in Hobart Bay on the east side of Stephens Passage. We didn’t reach it until after 10. And after a long day of fun in the fjord.