In the early morning, guests set out to shore to stand by a waterfall known for its gifts of salmon. The late summer run of these majestic fish all but guarantees that the brown bears in the area will come to feast, and so they did. A lively pair arrived. They splashed in the shallows and searched for fish to fatten up for the cold Alaskan winter as they entertained our guests with their antics. Leaving the bears to the hunt, we set out in the afternoon in search of more feeding adventures but this time with a larger mammal in mind. We were not disappointed and found a host of humpback whales bubble-netting in unison to scoop up a bounty of herring.
7/23/2024
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National Geographic Quest
Petersburg
This morning National Geographic Quest arrived at the small fishing town and bustling harbor of Petersburg. Petersburg is among the top 20 fishing ports in the United States and walking and biking around the community we could appreciate the charm of the amazing homes along the waterfront. After breakfast we divided into our different groups based on our activities and explored the town by bicycle, walking to a muskeg bog, climbing Petersburg Mountain, or enjoying cultural tours with some of the locals as guides. Every activity was fun and educational. It felt like we were the only tourists in town, and we really got a sense for small town Alaska. After lunch the rain set in and some of us decided to relax on board while others put on rain gear and enjoyed a Zodiac tour around the harbor, walks, or a bike ride around town. Returning to the ship, we had an incredible presentation by a local resident about Tlingit culture before our recap and amazing Dungeness crab dinner that followed. It was another great day in Southeast Alaska.