The last day aboard National Geographic Sea Bird was action packed! Guests awoke to Expedition Leader Oren Frey announcing that there were orcas around the ship, which we had the opportunity to watch for some time before breakfast. In the afternoon, guests were treated to a plethora of hike options, anywhere from a long bushwack to a casual forest wander through the Tongass National Forest. Before cocktail hour, the most adventurous of guests jumped into the frigid waters of Saook Bay, while our Global Explorers had the opportunity to learn to drive Zodiacs. It’s always bittersweet saying goodbye to the people we have gotten to know so well, but we hope that we have created stewards and ambassadors of the wild, Alaska, and nature.
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.
