Happy 4th of July from aboard the National Geographic Sea Bird ! We awoke to another lovely sunny day here in Southeast Alaska. We’ve been blessed with mostly sunny weather so far on our voyage. We started our Independence Day with a lovely inflatable boat ride around the Kashevarof Islands followed by a nice barbecue lunch outside on the sun deck. We then headed north to Totem Bay for our first chance at dropping our kayaks in the water for an afternoon paddle. A select few of our guests braved the fridgid Alaskan waters and yelled “Giddy up!” as they ran in. Our celebration of our country’s independence was capped off by the passage through the appropriately named Wrangell Narrows.
9/1/2021
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National Geographic Sea Lion
Chatham Strait, Baranof Island, Hanus Bay
The National Geographic Sea Lion continued through Chatham Strait during the night. Our ship was making its way toward our morning anchorage of Hanus Bay on the northeast tip of Baranof Island. Recently the hiking trail to Lake Eva has been beautifully renovated, allowing for many levels of hikers an opportunity to walk in a wonderfully protected section of temperate rainforest. Forests located on salmon rivers are protected allowing for the successful return of many species of Pacific salmon. We were divided into several levels of hiking and each group made its way up a small hill and into a forest of blow downs, mushrooms, ripe-red huckleberries, feasting squirrels and at least two species of salmon at their final destination, having returned to their natal stream to spawn the next generation of salmon. We walked, we stopped, we observed and heard about a world called a temperate rain forest from our staff. We all made our way up towards Lake Eva, stopping along the way, taking in the stories of all the different components that are part of this unique forest environment. During the afternoon we made our way a short distance to Saook Bay for water activities. Kayaks, paddleboards, and Zodiacs all provided for a chance to explore a quiet hidden bay. The perfect choice as, during the late morning hours, the wind had increased. A little quiet place to spend our afternoon protected, comfortable and safe was a wonderful way to finish our day.
