Chatham Strait, Fredrick Sound & Saginaw Bay
The National Geographic Sea Lion wakes to another warm, stunning morning in Southeast Alaska. Four days in a row of blue skies and sunshine make us question if we are really in a temperate rainforest!
After a remarkable day in Glacier Bay yesterday, we spent this morning relaxing on board the ship taking in the scenery and sunshine. We sailed through the waters of Chatham Strait and Fredrick Sound, briefly stopping for some close views of Kasnyku waterfall. Spotting a humpback mother and calf out in the distance we maneuvered to have a closer view, however by the time we approached the pair had ventured off and out of our sight. After tucking into Baranof Warm Springs for some wildlife searching, another humpback whale swam right by! Later in the morning, we gathered in the lounge in anticipation of a Native arts, history, and culture lecture from Sharon Grainger, one of our Lindblad naturalists.
Saginaw Bay was the destination for our afternoon activities. Anchoring in Halleck Harbor, we explored by kayaking and hiking along the water’s edge taking in the unique geology. This was only our second day of kayaking this voyage so our water lovers came to shore ready to get out and paddle. On our paddle we explored just outside of the harbor to view the infamous pictograph along the cliff wall. Many stories swirl around the origin of this pictograph and what it means. Some think that maybe it is the symbol of a hidden civilization, while others think it may just be graffiti that has happened in more recent years. On our hikes we had the chance to see columbines blossoming along the rocks.
After dinner, we had the opportunity to listen to Andy Szabo, the Director of the Alaska Whale Foundation, describe their mission statement and detail the research they are currently working on. This was another spectacular day of exploring Alaska’s coastal wilderness through the gleaming sunshine. Whether it was out on the bow with binoculars, out on deck lounging in the chairs, kayaking around the bay or hiking in the forest, we can all say we learned something new today.
The National Geographic Sea Lion wakes to another warm, stunning morning in Southeast Alaska. Four days in a row of blue skies and sunshine make us question if we are really in a temperate rainforest!
After a remarkable day in Glacier Bay yesterday, we spent this morning relaxing on board the ship taking in the scenery and sunshine. We sailed through the waters of Chatham Strait and Fredrick Sound, briefly stopping for some close views of Kasnyku waterfall. Spotting a humpback mother and calf out in the distance we maneuvered to have a closer view, however by the time we approached the pair had ventured off and out of our sight. After tucking into Baranof Warm Springs for some wildlife searching, another humpback whale swam right by! Later in the morning, we gathered in the lounge in anticipation of a Native arts, history, and culture lecture from Sharon Grainger, one of our Lindblad naturalists.
Saginaw Bay was the destination for our afternoon activities. Anchoring in Halleck Harbor, we explored by kayaking and hiking along the water’s edge taking in the unique geology. This was only our second day of kayaking this voyage so our water lovers came to shore ready to get out and paddle. On our paddle we explored just outside of the harbor to view the infamous pictograph along the cliff wall. Many stories swirl around the origin of this pictograph and what it means. Some think that maybe it is the symbol of a hidden civilization, while others think it may just be graffiti that has happened in more recent years. On our hikes we had the chance to see columbines blossoming along the rocks.
After dinner, we had the opportunity to listen to Andy Szabo, the Director of the Alaska Whale Foundation, describe their mission statement and detail the research they are currently working on. This was another spectacular day of exploring Alaska’s coastal wilderness through the gleaming sunshine. Whether it was out on the bow with binoculars, out on deck lounging in the chairs, kayaking around the bay or hiking in the forest, we can all say we learned something new today.
