We had one whale of a day onboard National Geographic Sea Lion. Nothing could surpass the 360ﹾ views of humpback whales spouting and lunge feeding throughout the day. Early in the morning, Captain Nettles spotted some spouts in the distance and what looked like a lot of commotion on the surface of the water. National Geographic Sea Lion headed over and was able to view a group of humpback whales bubble-net feeding! Moving away to continue our adventure, we cruised to Pavlof Harbor for some kayaking and hiking. After the afternoon activities, we witnessed an opportunity of a lifetime…again! Two groups of humpback whales were bubble-net feeding. While the adults were busy feasting, a curious juvenile swam up to the bow of the vessel, giving everyone a nice look at their rostrum. After pulling away, we could see the juvenile breaching again and again as the adults nearby continued to bubble-net feed.
9/4/2023
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National Geographic Sea Bird
Saook Bay and Lake Eva
This morning we woke in Saook Bay with beautifully calm overcast conditions, mist on the mountains, and an intermittent sprinkling of rain. Three brown bears were spotted onshore from the ship’s bow before 7 a.m. by our early-rising naturalist. Several guests joined the early morning observations, while others joined the stretch class with our wellness specialist. After breakfast, kayakers and paddleboarders took to Saook Bay for a peaceful paddle. Global Explorers had a special shore expedition to experience the intertidal zone, where they learned to make kelp horns and rattles. Then we ramped up the energy for both participants and spectators during our exciting Polar Plunge into the cold Southeast Alaskan waters. With everyone back on board to enjoy conversations over lunch, we sailed to a small bay for an afternoon of hiking on the trailhead to Lake Eva. Hiking in the temperate rainforest after this morning’s light rain provided many photo opportunities of water droplets on leaves and moss, fabulous fungi, and vibrant berries. One highlight for everyone on the trail was seeing a mama brown bear with her young cub in the creek. She was catching pink salmon and sharing it with her cub. We even saw them both take short swims. With the excitement of this sighting still fresh on our minds, we then watched a cluster of humpback whales spout and fluke as we approached the fantail of National Geographic Sea Bird. A short while later these same whales began bubble-net and lunge feeding! Wow! There’s just so much to experience here in Southeast Alaska.