George Island, 6/20/2022, National Geographic Venture
Aboard the
National Geographic Venture
Alaska
The foghorn sounds…Steller’s sea lions bark a response from the channel buoy….early hour happenings aboard National Geographic Venture. Chocolate chip muffins are quite popular fare for the early risers…a first breakfast, save room for the main course.
George Island is our morning destination for hiking and kayaking. A beautiful mixture of natural / WWII history and marine observations. Flood tide in the afternoon sets the stage for Zodiac tours of the Inian Islands and great views of feeding sea otters, Steller’s sea lions, and American bald eagles. The excited chatter of guests at cocktail hour is a telltale sign of a day done well by all aboard National Geographic Venture.
An educator at heart, Dan finds great joy in helping others explore and connect with the world around them. He has taught marine sciences in the Florida Keys and on Catalina Island, science and math in international schools in Mexico, Costa Rica, and ...
Enter travel details to receive reports from a single expedition
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Send Daily Expedition Reports to friends and family
*By clicking the submit button, I authorize Lindblad Expeditions to email me; however, I am able to unsubscribe at any time. For more details, see our Privacy Policy.
Please note: All Daily Expedition Reports (DERs) are posted Monday-Friday,
during normal business hours. DERs are written onboard the ship only and do
not apply to land-based portions of expeditions.
It is not often that you get the chance to explore a landscape that is changing in front of your eyes. On board National Geographic Quest today, we took that rare opportunity while sailing through Glacier Bay National Park, a living laboratory of change in the wake of glacial recession. Just two hundred years ago, a 60+ mile glacier blanketed the bay in hundreds of feet of ice. In the time since, the glacier has dramatically receded, and a huge diversity of life has followed in its path. We spent the entire day searching for, and finding, that life. We began the morning at the face of Margerie and the Grand Pacific Glaciers at the northern end of the park along the Canadian border. While silently observing the glaciers, we were lucky to see a calving event. We even spotted a group of otters hauled out on one of the icebergs at the base of the ice, a rare behavior for this marine mammal. From there, we made our way south. We sailed past a huge array of seabirds, including tufted puffins, before spotting two brown bears, one foraging in the intertidal zone and another scaling the steep rock face of Gloomy Knob. High above, near the top of the ridgeline, mountain goats rested among the young Sitka spruce and Sitka alder that have colonized the freshly exposed earth. The last wildlife hotspot of the day, South Marble Island, provided sights (and sounds) of Steller sea lions and hundreds of different nesting seabirds. We ended our day with walks at Bartlett Cove, the entrance to the bay and the region of the park that has been uncovered from glacial ice the longest. The old growth forests we found here capped our exploration of change in the wake of glacial recession and showcased the incredible power of nature to thrive. Photo caption and photographer: The Fairweather Mountains peek out through the clouds with Margerie Glacier in the foreground. Photo by Alex Krowiak
We awoke with National Geographic Quest safely at anchor within the Inian Islands. This small island chain stands between the great Northern Pacific Ocean and the Inside Passage of Southeast Alaska. Low tide was at 8:30 a.m., and we began our Zodiac tours promptly at 9:00 a.m. This timing was not accidental, as we planned to be here for the flood tide. Cold, nutrient-rich water from the open ocean rushes through this narrow passage and creates a perfect feeding ground for Steller sea lions, sea otters, and bald eagles. As the sea water pushes through, it brings unlucky salmon and other fish closer to the surface. These fish become easy prey for predators waiting in the water and in the sky. It was exciting for us to witness this event from water level, and we all got some great photos and stories to share. After lunch, we repositioned the ship to nearby George Island. This island offers opportunities to hike and kayak, and we rounded out the day with a quick dip off the beach. Guests enjoyed hiking to a viewpoint that was once an active lookout during World War II. A rusted, 18-inch diameter gun still stands here, marking a bit of history nestled within the natural beauty of this place. Kayaking and paddleboarding from the beach were ways to explore the clear waters independently. The calm waters surrounding George Island are a tranquil place to explore the coastline and peer into tidepools for a close-up view of invertebrate marine life. As the afternoon activities ended, we capped off the day by running into the ocean for a quick dip. We returned to the ship for dinner and a peaceful night aboard our newfound floating home.
We dropped on to the beach bright and early to explore Lake Eva. A cool morning of overcast skies soon gave way to a warmer midday of overcast skies. Hikers of all speeds set out to discover the magic of the temperate rainforest. Salmon jumped at the base of cascading water on their journey to spawn in the lake and stream. A number of songbirds provided a delightful soundtrack for us as we wound our way through the verdant paradise. In the afternoon, we cruised Chatham Strait where a group of humpback whales was observed bubble-net feeding. We watched as the six leviathans circled and lunged, working their way through balls of schooling fish.
