Overnight, National Geographic Sea Lion brought us through Wrangell Narrows and Clarence Strait from the town of Petersburg, Alaska to Misty Fjords National Monument. We spent the morning enjoying the views from the decks of National Geographic Sea Lion as we slowly cruised through the fjord. In late morning, we boarded small passenger vessels to explore the area. We watched our ship come through famous Owl Pass, and we got a closer look at the forest, the waterfalls, the salmon, and the eagles. We got an even more intimate experience afterwards when we explored the area by kayaks. We watched as the zombie salmon in the streams fulfilled the last days of their cycle, which is critical to the old growth forest ecosystem. We even got to see a double rainbow over our ship! Later in the afternoon, naturalist and cultural interpreter Sharon Grainger gave a wonderful talk about Native American culture and art. In the evening, we enjoyed the views from the deck as our captain navigated us back through Behm Canal towards Dixon Entrance. Tomorrow, we arrive in Canada!
5/15/2024
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National Geographic Sea Bird
Inian Islands, AK
The drizzling rain of the early morning cleared off for the start of our Zodiac tours through the dazzling Inian Islands. The Islands are incredibly special due to their geographic location. As the northernmost opening to the Inside Passage, tons of billions of gallons of water funnel in from the Pacific Ocean and cause an oceanic phenomenon called upwelling, where cold, nutrient dense water rises to the surface. Marine animals flock to these waters for the availability of food and resources. We were able to view sea otters, sea lions, and many bird species. The Zodiac tours had some of the most amazing views of the coastal waters, spruce covered islands, and wildlife. We ended the morning with a visit to the Tidelines Institute, a non-profit educational institute founded by Lindblad Naturalist and PhD in climate science, Zach Brown. The afternoon was filled with presentations, briefings, and our guest slideshow to end the evening during our transit up to Sitka. It was a fantastic ending to a great trip.