Wednesday, July 11

Wednesday we had full sun- totally unexpected. Another group went out snorkeling and reported that the sun shining in the depths of the water really made a difference in how much they could see. The day was scheduled for "critter cruising" but it was so beautiful that the captain anchored the boat and a beach party was set up in the afternoon, with people (including Heather the bartender and a generous supply of beer, wine and munchies) being ferried out to a nearby beach in skiffs. 

I tried my hand at paddleboarding; I enjoyed the view and the peace but I was ever aware of the need to keep balanced since capsizing would mean landing in 40-degree water. This skill is best learned in warm water! After that I came back in and Ron and I went out in the kayak together. The evening included a lecture on the top deck by the scientist leading the whale study from the Five Fingers Lighthouse nearby. It's informally called The Rapunzel Project because it's a mostly-female group living in a tower on an island. She was a fantastic speaker, and kept pointing out whales in the area as we listened to her talk. The island and the lighthouse where they conduct their research is shown below.