Our final full day of exploration in the wilds of Southeast Alaska began at the junction of Chatham and Peril Straits, the “triple junction” where Admiralty, Baranof, and Chichagof Islands come together. Generally, it is a hot spot for observing humpback whales feeding over underwater reefs and coastal brown bears strolling the shorelines. We started with a good taste of the wilder weather that sometimes overlays this coastal wilderness. Low clouds, a stiff breeze, and swirling precipitation made for challenging conditions on the bow, but our cozy ship was a welcome refuge from the weather with warm coffee, a hearty breakfast, and an entertaining presentation that introduced some of the natural history highlights of the bear world. By afternoon, we were able to anchor in Saook Bay for an afternoon of kayaking and hiking.
9/10/2024
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National Geographic Sea Lion
Pavlof Harbor
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.