Special Note: This week, we are pleased to welcome Ben Lyons, Chief Officer of the National Geographic Explorer, to the NG Sea Bird in Southeast Alaska. We invite you to follow Lyons in Alaska, a special section of the Lindblad Expeditions Blog.
Chatham Strait
This morning the National Geographic Sea Bird awoke on approach to Kasnyku falls on the northeast coast of Baranof Island. The emerald temperate rainforest framed the falls fed by a high hidden lake and melting winter’s snow. Surrounded by wilderness in an archipelago of a thousand islands, we are overcome by the purity of air and space. Leaving the bow for breakfast, we headed north up Chatham Strait searching all the while for creatures large and small.
Shortly after breakfast we spotted Orca whales in Chatham Strait and, savoring sun-kissed skies on both bow and bridge, felt fortunate for this rare encounter (of both sun and cetacean). Dall’s porpoise arrived on the scene and like a small mirror image of the orca moved amidst calm waters searching for their prey.
Moving further north along the west coast of Admiralty Island we headed for Hood Bay. It was not long before Humpback whales were spotted near the entrance of the bay. Our day was made complete by three species of cetacean sighted before lunch. A cow and calf swam harmoniously in the calm protected waters and we could only wonder what their migration across the Pacific must be like.
After lunch and program we parted ways from ship and mates and on Baranof Island enjoyed the water and forest surrounds of Lake Eva and Hanus Bay. By Zodiac, kayak or on foot we explored this pristine, and snowy, place!
Chatham Strait
This morning the National Geographic Sea Bird awoke on approach to Kasnyku falls on the northeast coast of Baranof Island. The emerald temperate rainforest framed the falls fed by a high hidden lake and melting winter’s snow. Surrounded by wilderness in an archipelago of a thousand islands, we are overcome by the purity of air and space. Leaving the bow for breakfast, we headed north up Chatham Strait searching all the while for creatures large and small.
Shortly after breakfast we spotted Orca whales in Chatham Strait and, savoring sun-kissed skies on both bow and bridge, felt fortunate for this rare encounter (of both sun and cetacean). Dall’s porpoise arrived on the scene and like a small mirror image of the orca moved amidst calm waters searching for their prey.
Moving further north along the west coast of Admiralty Island we headed for Hood Bay. It was not long before Humpback whales were spotted near the entrance of the bay. Our day was made complete by three species of cetacean sighted before lunch. A cow and calf swam harmoniously in the calm protected waters and we could only wonder what their migration across the Pacific must be like.
After lunch and program we parted ways from ship and mates and on Baranof Island enjoyed the water and forest surrounds of Lake Eva and Hanus Bay. By Zodiac, kayak or on foot we explored this pristine, and snowy, place!
