It’s the first full day on board for our group of intrepid explorers on National Geographic Venture, and what a spectacular day it was. The morning greeted us with glass calm waters and sunny skies as we hauled anchor from our overnight anchorage in Fish Bay to get underway. Sabina led an energetic and full stretch class as we cruised through Sergius Narrows, and then guests enjoyed a wonderful breakfast buffet of blueberry pancakes, made-to-order omelets, and fresh fruit. The morning was spent relaxing on board, including a talk on phone photography from Lisa that was interrupted by bow riding Dall’s porpoises. We briefed our excited guests on the ins and outs of hiking and kayaking in Alaska, prepping them for the epic week ahead.
The afternoon was just as sunny and thrilling as the morning, with a large group of humpback whales near Hoonah interrupting lunch as excited guests flew from their seats to get a good view. We were a bit late getting to our afternoon anchorage as all the amazing wildlife pushed our afternoon ops into happy hour. But the guests weren’t too disappointed, as we watched for over an hour as bear after bear caught chum salmon in the river near Pavlof Harbor. Two moms with cubs, a few juvenile bears, and a couple big boars shared the bounty as the sun set on our classic Alaskan day. The first day of our cruise was a huge success, and we can’t wait to see what Alaska has in store for us tomorrow!
