We had a grand start aboard then National Geographic Quest this morning, when a whale calf put on quite a show. We spent half an hour watching full breaches, tail lobbing, and a bit of spy hopping. Ah, the exuberance of youth!

We spent the rest of the morning on Zodiac tours and kayaks/paddle boarding in Kelp Bay amongst beautiful vistas as backdrops. Old growth hikes filled the afternoon. Groups visited salmon streams, deep forest, and muskegs. It is quite a special feeling to step on the moss carpeted forest floor amid spruce and hemlocks that are hundreds of years old—one’s perspective shifts when in the old growth.

Our evening concluded with a bit of cruising for whales in Chatham Strait and evening recap where our undersea specialist showed the day’s dive footage. Dusk is coming a bit earlier now, signaling a shift in the seasons is upon us.