National Geographic Sea Bird spent the day exploring Tracy Arm, Alaska.
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National Geographic Sea Bird spent the day exploring Tracy Arm, Alaska.
Eric is an editorial and commercial photographer, videographer and FAA-certified drone pilot based near Washington, D.C. His work focuses on travel and documentaries and is represented by National Geographic Image Collection.
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5/1/2025
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National Geographic Sea Lion
National Geographic Sea Lion traveled through Icy Strait heading for Cross Sound, the largest opening to the North Pacific. Our ship maneuvered her way into Port Althorp, a deep bay where our morning would be spent kayaking and hiking. The weather forecast brought a typical Alaska day of rain and mixed winds. Port Althorp was protected from the high winds, and we had a chance to walk along a seriously low tide beach, past perennial bear footprints. Brown bears are creatures of habit, and they will create a set of footprints that they will walk in for generations. After lunch and the repositioning of our ship, we donned serious rain gear for Zodiac rides in the Inian Islands. We were lucky to be on an incoming tide, which brings many animals to feed on the rich nutrients brought to the surface by intense upwelling. Bald eagles decorated the trees…waiting, watching, and catching a meal once it floated to the surface. Steller sea lions and sea otters entertained us all as we continued our exploration.
4/30/2025
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National Geographic Sea Lion
The day threatened rain, but the overcast skies never did open up, allowing us to explore the beautiful forests along the Lake Eva trail system in comfort. Being one of the first tour vessels to explore the area this year, we were prepared to encounter deadfall and plenty of obstacles after a harsh Alaskan winter but were pleasantly surprised to find the trail in remarkably good shape. Fresh shoots of skunk cabbage and the promising buds of spindly devil’s club assured us that spring is indeed almost here. The prediction was further confirmed this afternoon when we stumbled across a group of humpback whales feeding near the Chichagof Island shoreline. Rain is in the forecast again for tomorrow, but perhaps it’ll be another idle threat as we continue north and west for Port Althorp and the always memorable Inian Islands.
9/10/2024
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National Geographic Sea Lion
The day started with an exciting encounter. Before breakfast we observed a group of bubble-netting humpback whales. It was incredible to see them lunge and hear them breathing at the surface. This was coupled by a glorious pink sunrise. After breakfast we took Zodiac cruises searching for bears near Pavlof Harbor. Even though we did not find any (wildlife is always delightfully unexpected), the scenery was beautiful, and we watched many adorable harbor seals. After thinking the excitement of the day was done, we spotted a large group of whales from a distance. While approaching closer, we realized this group was also bubble-net feeding. Close to the shore, we observed these whales for hours. We even dropped the hydrophone to hear their haunting feeding call before they all lunged at the surface. It was one of the most incredible things any of us had ever witnessed. As if this wasn’t enough, at our sunset recap we got the call that there were killer whales around the ship. It was the most amazing ending to the most amazing day.