Today was an exceptional day for wildlife encounters and stunning scenery. National Geographic Venture entered Endicott Arm, a fjord full of snowcapped peaks and ice floating in the sea. We cruised on Zodiacs, maneuvering around icebergs. We enjoyed many surprises as we traveled, including a black bear foraging along the shore. We all stayed quiet while Marylou maneuvered the Zodiac as close as possible without disturbing this magnificent animal. It was sunny, and the sky was totally clear. Glassy water offered the best reflections of the ice and the mountains. Everything was peaceful and quiet as we contemplated the bear. Suddenly, Marylou turned the engine back on – she heard a blow – and we headed back to see a humpback whale swimming by the shore. It put on a show, giving us the best possible ending of a Zodiac tour that we will surely never forget.
- Daily Expedition Reports
- 09 May 2023
Endicott Arm, 5/9/2023, National Geographic Venture
- Aboard the National Geographic Venture
- Alaska
Ivan Vasquez, Video Chronicler
Iván grew up in San Cristobal, Galapagos amongst a family of artists. From an early age he explored different art tools to express his creativity, going from painting to music, and to finally discover a camera which would later lead to his profession...
Read MoreShare Report
Treasures of the Inside Passage: Alaska and British Columbia
VIEW ITINERARYRelated Reports
9/18/2024
Read
National Geographic Quest
Desolation Sound, Tenedos Bay
Today, National Geographic Quest spent the day exploring Desolation Sound. We dropped our anchor in Tenedos Bay where we spent the morning enjoying our excursions. Some guests got up extra early to do a long one-way hike. Others enjoyed a variety of hiking options and kayaking in the scenic bay.
9/17/2024
Read
National Geographic Quest
Alert Bay, Cormorant Island, British Columbia
It was a drizzly day here at Alert Bay, but it did not dampen our spirits! A family of frolicking river otters (Lontra canadensis) on the floating dock by our ship greeted us as disembarked. At the same time, sea otters (Enhydra lutris) swam along the dock trying to interact with the river otters! The first stop of the morning was the U’mista Cultural Center. Here, our guests enjoyed a short film and then were able to tour the museum’s displays and artwork. After the U’mista tour was finished, we made our way to the “Big House” for a welcome ceremony. There were dancers of all ages, which after the welcome ceremony, danced and explained the various dances. As we made our way past Hanson Island and Orca Camp, a viewing and listening research outpost, we saw a mega pod of Pacific white-sided dolphins (Lagenorhynchus obliquidens) and a pod of five orca (Orcinus orca). One of our naturalists downloaded an orca vocalization live feed app from the research station, and we were able to hear the orcas that we were watching!