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.
Pavlof Harbor & Peril Strait
Friday dawned with shafts of sunlight streaming through the clouds to shine upon Dall’s porpoises joyfully greeting the National Geographic Sea Bird. These stocky bodied cetaceans, with their strikingly contrasting black body and white belly, swam a graceful dance on the bow’s wave. Meanwhile on the bridge deck, aft, those in the morning stretch class choreographed their own start to the day.
We have been blessed with a week of surprisingly little precipitation for Southeast Alaska and this morning was no exception. As the ship anchored in Freshwater Bay, the only thing to interrupt the serene surface of the water were the blows of a humpback whale making its way out to Chatham Strait. After breakfast we took to the trails, to the kayaks and the Zodiacs to explore Pavlof Harbor. This sheltered scenic inlet of Chicagof Island was flush with wildlife. Those in the Zodiacs and kayaks were treated to a close encounter with two brown bears foraging along the shore. Ochre sea stars were plentiful in the clear waters. Hikers set out along the rapids of Pavlof River where later in the summer salmon will swim upstream to spawn and bears will gather to fish. Bird sightings included soaring bald eagles, raucous Steller’s jays, a paddling pair of common goldeneye ducks, a loon, a swan and a varied thrush (aka “Alaska Robin”) stuffing its beak with grass to build its nest. To complete the scene, a river otter scampered along the water’s edge.
In the afternoon, humpbacks applauded Captain Kay’s selection of 60’s music with flipper flapping in the green, plankton rich waters of Peril Strait. Naturalist, Berit Solstad, enlightened us with her presentation on marine mammals and video chronicler, Matt Fish, gave us a sneak preview of the DVD capturing our week’s adventures.
The day culminated with the Captain’s Farewell Dinner. Strangers who had become friends shared a feast of king salmon and rib eye as well as treasured memories of our week in this breathtaking wilderness – a week of edification, rejuvenation and celebration of the beauty of Southeast Alaska.
