Location: Elfin Cove and Inian Island, Icy Strait, southeast Alaska
Comments: Elfin Cove is a very quaint boardwalk town typical of southeast Alaska. While scuba diving around Inian Island is always fantastic, it makes for a fun break to go ashore at Elfin Cove during a trip and go for a walkabout – although the walkabout is strictly limited to strolling up and down and around the boardwalk that circumnavigates the small community! It’s very quaint. Very picturesque. Very quintessential Alaska.
On going ashore tonight, I was greeted by name by 4 residents including the mayor sitting on their porch with a drink in hand and looking out towards the harbour and the Nautilus Explorer.
“How’s the diving Mike?”
“Great, awesome, best that we have seen anywhere.”
“Yup, it sure is. Say, we went and did the white shark diving at Guadalupe last fall.”
“Hmmm, I don’t remember seeing you on board?”
“Well, someone else arranged the trip and we went out with Doc Anes at San Diego Shark Diving.”
“Hmmm, that’s our competition!”
“Well anyways Mike, you are parked in the middle of our runway”
“What?”
“Yup, the float plane pilots worry about the downdrafts off that hill and like to land right where you anchored the Nautilus”
“Oh”
“Yup”
“Well okay, sorry about that, we won’t do it again.”
Like almost all of southeast Alaska, Elfin Cove is only accessible by float plane or boat and the steady stream of Cessna 185s and 206s and Dehavilland Beavers and Otters on floats like to make a straight in approach and landing. Pretty hard to argue when the town mayor tells you that you are anchored in the middle of his runway! I’ll know better next time.
–Captain Mike
Weather: Skies finally clearing with sunny breaks, calm seas, calm winds, air temperatures high 50’s.
Water: Water temperature 45 – 46°F. Variable visibility depending on the dive site 15 – 35 feet.
