This morning, we had the pleasant surprise of waking up to a pod of killer whales surrounding the National Geographic Sea Lion. It was a magical way to start the day as we stood on the bow and watched these amazing animals in their natural environment, and to think it’s only our second day here in SE Alaska! Killer whales are a fascinating species; they live in matriarchal pods with a dominant female surrounded by her family members. After spending some time with the whales, we continued on our course towards the morning destination of Ideal Cove. During breakfast we cruised down Frederick Sound, a stunningly beautiful waterway surrounded by small islands, bays and coves. After breakfast, the ship anchored in the southern portion of Frederick Sound at Ideal Cove.

It was a wet morning with constant showers, but we were quick to break out the rain gear that we all had prepared in anticipation of this typical SE Alaskan weather. This region is well known for its spectacular temperate rainforests, and today we spent our morning hiking along a boardwalk trail that took us straight through the heart of an amazing section of rainforest. The naturalist led walks were a great opportunity to learn about the forest ecology, and discover some of the incredible flora and fauna diversity here in SE Alaska.

After the morning walks, we boarded the ship and started our way towards Petersburg, a small fishing village and a great example of your typical Alaskan town. This area does not accommodate the large cruise ships that we find in Juneau or Sitka, and therefore remains relatively unaffected by the massive tourism that those other cities experience. A dock walk, led by our naturalists, goes through some of the major fishing vessels that we discover here in Petersburg and the daily life of a fisherman. Others choose to join the bog walk, which explores a natural Alaskan muskeg – an entirely different type of habitat than anything we have experienced thus far! Guests have some free time in the afternoon to explore Petersburg and do some shopping in town, and in the evening we host the famous Petersburg crab feast on board the ship. Fresh dungeonous crab, all you can eat, is served in the dining room followed by a delicious homemade desert. We feast ourselves and relax for the remainder of the night as we cruise onward in search of more wildlife. It's been another spectacular day here in SE Alaska, and we look forward to many more as our trip continues!