The morning began with an exchange of rain and sun, the typical indecisiveness of weather that nourishes the temperate rain forest of Southeast Alaska. As the tide fell beneath our feet, our guests took to land at Lake Eva to walk amidst the Sitka Spruce and dense understory of the forest. As expected, the salmon filled the stream fed by the lake and wherever the fish are, so will the characteristic mammals that feed upon them be. Our bear was spotted mid steam, pinning a salmon to a rock, picking off the tastiest portions. Cantering back and forth in the wash of the river, our guests enjoyed the bear’s relaxed demeanor as it did what it does best in the late summer season. A beautiful encounter to highlight our first full day, with much more of what Alaska has to give headed our way.
9/10/2024
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National Geographic Sea Lion
Pavlof Harbor
The day started with an exciting encounter. Before breakfast we observed a group of bubble-netting humpback whales. It was incredible to see them lunge and hear them breathing at the surface. This was coupled by a glorious pink sunrise. After breakfast we took Zodiac cruises searching for bears near Pavlof Harbor. Even though we did not find any (wildlife is always delightfully unexpected), the scenery was beautiful, and we watched many adorable harbor seals. After thinking the excitement of the day was done, we spotted a large group of whales from a distance. While approaching closer, we realized this group was also bubble-net feeding. Close to the shore, we observed these whales for hours. We even dropped the hydrophone to hear their haunting feeding call before they all lunged at the surface. It was one of the most incredible things any of us had ever witnessed. As if this wasn’t enough, at our sunset recap we got the call that there were killer whales around the ship. It was the most amazing ending to the most amazing day.