Today was an incredible day, one of those days that even the staff will remember forever and compare to other days. We started our morning at a beautiful anchorage called Fox Creek. Guests kayaked in crystal-clear, blue waters, where they spotted small fish and even some sea stars. They hiked into the forest and saw bear tracks, wildflowers, and bald eagles. On top of great hiking/kayaking conditions, we had impeccable weather. The sun was shining, there was no wind, and the air temperature was warm. We traveled a short distance to the Inian Islands, which were an absolute dream. The good weather continued, and we saw so many humpback whales. We observed breaching, chin slapping, tail slapping, and feeding. The Steller sea lions were not about to be outdone, and they jumped, played in our wake, and swam underneath our boats. As if the day couldn’t get better, we saw a rare minke whale that let us watch it for about twenty minutes. To top off the day, we had trivia night.
- Daily Expedition Reports
- 13 Jul 2023
Fox Creek and the Inian Islands, 7/13/2023, National Geographic Sea Lion
- Aboard the National Geographic Sea Lion
- Alaska
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Alaska Escape: Haines, the Inian Islands and Tracy Arm Fjord
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We had an amazing day today exploring the Inian Islands and Fox Creek. In the morning, guests left National Geographic Sea Lion to explore the Inian Islands on Zodiacs. This location is known for its currents and the upwelling that happens here. Nutrients rise to the surface, producing a great opportunity to witness the feeding behavior of bald eagles, Steller sea lions, sea otters, gulls, and other marine mammals. After a delicious lunch, guests chose from two exploratory opportunities at Fox Creek. One of the options was a moderate hike with our naturalists interpreting along the way. The second option was an intertidal walk with naturalists, enjoying a bit of tidepool exploration. We concluded this amazing day back onboard listening to the recap, having a wonderful dinner, and planning for another great day tomorrow with our visit to Haines.