Fish 'n fjords

Aaaand we're back!  

Many thanks to our participants on our inaugural dive trip to Alaska!  

Over the course of six sea days with Captain Josh, of the M/V Longhorn, we managed to pry open the bryozoa-encrusted shell that is the Alaskan fjords and peer deep into the gooey depths of their manifold splendor!  Okay, so it's a messy metaphor, but there was all manner of critterwise coolness, including humpback whales, harbor seals, an octopus (it glowed, FFS!), massive feather pens, scallops, more rockfish than you could shake a stick (or throw a stone?) at, salmon (naturally), and all the invertebrate intricacies you'd expect in the north, to name but a few.  The weather even mostly held out, though the seas kicked up when we intended to cross to Prince of Wales Island and we had to make a detour to the Misty Fjords National Monument, where humpbacks cruised by in the distance while we snuck in a few more wall dives.  

Back on land we explored the trails of Ketchikan and its environs, which cover salmon-filled streams and gorgeous mountaintop overlook, before everyone had to go home.

After the success that was this year's trip we're looking forward to applying all of our lessons learned (no more nighttime check dives, no matter how inviting the water looks!) to subsequent trips.  'Til the next one!