Daily Expedition Reports
Skanax Bay, Southeast Alaska

Steve Ewing, Video Chronicler, June 2021

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  • Daily Expedition Reports
  • 15 Jun 2021

Skanax Bay, Southeast Alaska

  • Aboard the National Geographic Quest
  • Alaska

We awoke before breakfast to enjoy the sights of humpback whales diving and feeding at the mouth of Saginaw Bay. Fresh coffee was brewing as a young calf kept alongside its mother as she rested between breaths. A playful sea otter seemed to want to play with the calf while the mother skirted her child away. Harbor seals lay on rocks nearby, looking on with curiosity, as the National Geographic Quest sailed past. Kelp forests floated near shore harboring a striking diversity of invertebrates and algae.

 

While our dive boat went out to collect footage to share, our guests explored a section of Skanax Bay known as Halleck Harbor. Kayaks and paddleboards scattered themselves around the bay to allow our guests to get up close and personal with the intertidal life of Southeast Alaska. Meanwhile, several guests embarked on a bushwhack across Kuiu Island, eventually meeting up with the rest of beach party.

Article by

Nick Brown, Divemaster

Born and raised on the edge of the Mojave Desert, Nick was accustomed to hot dry days, far from the ocean. Everything changed when he attended California State University Monterey Bay, a short 1.5 miles from the beaches of Central California. This is where Nick’s passion for the water developed and completely engulfed his life. He quickly changed his concentration in college to Marine Science, allowing him to further dive into the underwater world.

Video by

Steve Ewing, Video Chronicler

Born and raised in the Pacific Northwest, Steve fell in love with the beauty of the natural world at an early age. In addition to nature, his other main passion was telling stories though the medium of television and radio. Steve studied broadcast journalism at the University of Oregon. There, he learned how to shoot, edit, and report compelling stories using digital video.

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