Our first full day in Southeast Alaska began with quite a magical start! As we cruised through the forested Sergius Narrows, we spotted a humpback whale bubble-net feeding in Peril Strait. Humpback whales spend all summer long feeding in Alaska, and we all spent the morning oohing and aahing as we enjoyed watching the whale use this unique feeding technique to catch herring. In the afternoon, we rode Zodiacs ashore to explore beautiful Ushk Bay. We wandered through a meadow sprinkled with wildflowers, crossed creeks in our muck boots, and began exploring the temperate rainforest. The typical Southeast Alaska rain showers rolled in as we ended our hikes, and we were happy to head back to National Geographic Venture for an evening of cocktails, dinner, and a presentation on the temperate rainforest we had just explored.
6/1/2023
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National Geographic Quest
Inian Islands and Fox Creek
This morning, National Geographic Quest anchored in the Inian Islands. While wellness specialist Sokie started her early morning stretching class on the sundeck, we had the first surprise of the day – three humpback whales came close to the ship to greet us. After breakfast, Zodiacs were deployed, and we made our way to explore the islands. We went to Bird Island first, a rock full of seabirds, including glaucous-winged gulls, pelagic cormorants, and pigeon guillemots. We passed by an enormous colony of Steller sea lions that came close to the Zodiacs, swimming underneath us and playing with the strong waves and currents. Our guests enjoyed this abundance of life as we continued to the north side where we saw a blow. Two humpback whales were feeding in the area, and Dall’s porpoises moved quickly in the distance. Everywhere we looked was full of life. The whales went for a deeper and longer dive, and while we waited for them to come back up, we saw more blows farther away. This time it was orcas! We got closer and saw a pod of four transient orcas passing. Our guests couldn’t have been happier or more astounded. In the afternoon, we repositioned to Fox Creek to go kayaking and on different hikes. A photo and bird walk were led by photo instructor Iván and naturalist Zoey. Our guests really enjoyed exploring the lush temperate forest. They had opportunities to practice the photography tips learned throughout the voyage and to hear the bird calls they have come to recognize. It was a spectacular day in Southeast Alaska.
