We approached the small town of Haines and the Chilkat Peninsula in beautiful early morning light. The sun poked through the fog and lit up the tops of the mountains with a warm glow to welcome us to our home base for the day’s adventures. Throughout the sunny day, guests were busy with activities on land, on water, and in the air. From hiking to biking to fly fishing to flightseeing, everyone got to enjoy a taste of the incredible landscapes of Southeast Alaska. Visitors to the Klukwan Village learned about the local Chilkat Tlingit clan, their profound history, and stories of this area. We finished the day with a delicious crab feast and a colorful sunset. Thank you for a wonderful day, Haines!
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.
