A better view from our cabin while docked at Kodiak compared with the one we had at Dutch Harbor, although quite overcast:

A paid-for excursion today - Marine Wildlife of Alaska:

Navigate Coastal Waters in Search of Local Species – Venture out into Alaska’s untamed coastal waters on a cruise in search of local marine wildlife. Board your vessel and meet your local guide and skipper, who will determine your route based on weather conditions to ensure the best sightseeing opportunities. As you leave port, civilization will quickly fade, with only the occasional isolated fishing village attesting to the presence of human beings. As you sail around Kodiak and its barrier islands, keep watch for sea lions, playful sea otters, seals, porpoises and a variety of seabirds. If you are lucky, you may get to see orcas, minke whales or even a humpback whale. These magnificent creatures can grow up to 60 feet in length and weigh up to 40 tons—about the size of a school bus. Your cruise will include refreshing beverages and lunch on board before returning to the pier. Please note: Animal sightings cannot be guaranteed.

This turned out to be a very small group - just 6 of us - heading out with the skipper to see the wildlife. The weather was a bit variable and it was too early in the season to see whales so these were contributory factors as to why we didn’t travel too far from the original starting point:

The excursion was brilliant, though. We got to see sea lions, puffins, sea otters, bald eagles and more! The skipper was as accommodating as he could be given the weather conditions but we had a lot of laughs and spent a lot of time getting pretty close to some of the wildlife.

We dropped anchor to have our lunch - individual packed boxes bought locally by the skipper in Kodiak. There was a bit of choice for the guests - various permutations of ham, cheese and turkey, served in a croissant - as well as some extras like an orange, a bag of crisps and some sweeter items.

The excursion ended a bit earlier than it should have done, mostly down to the horrendous weather and limited travelling options, but everyone was in agreement with that.

We ate again at the World Cafe and then retired early to our stateroom. We have a longer excursion ahead of us tomorrow!