What a wonderful final day in Southeast Alaska! We were greeted on the bow early in the morning by a humpback whale that repeatedly breached as the sun rose and burned off the foggy skies. The sun was beaming as we cruised into Iyoukeen Cove where we spent the morning kayaking in the calm waters and hiking through the temperate rainforest. Guests came back on board, raving about the weather and thinking the day could not get better! As we started cruising down along the coast of Southeast Alaska, we saw the high blows of humpback whales in the distance. As we approached, we saw more than fifteen whales bubble-net feeding. This unique behavior is a cooperative effort by humpback whales. They use bubbles to wrangle schools of herring in one place so they can all feed together. It is unique across the world, and we were able to watch these whales for more than three hours. It was quite the treat for us all, and the bow was alive with “Wows!” and joy as we soaked in our final afternoon in Alaska.
Photographers: Kelly Ferron and Gemina Garland-Lewis
