Today is the first full day of our expedition through Southeast Alaska aboard the National Geographic Sea Lion. We started early and found 2 curious young brown bears at the end of Kelp Bay. Each took turns standing on their hind legs to get a better view of us onboard. It was a very nice way to start our first morning, finding charismatic mega-fauna amidst the misty mountains. We were then treated to our first humpback whale, which is always a treat.
In the afternoon, we explored Hanus Bay by foot and by kayak. We set out for hikes of various lengths and times, immersing ourselves in the rain forest, and watching salmon swimming in their stream. We saw sockeye salmon and chum salmon. The highlight was seeing a pair of river otters who came surprisingly close and gave several groups good views.
While walking back, we had a close encounter with one of the most aggressive, viscous animals of Southeast Alaska. He took us by surprise, but luckily this highly territorial critter kept his distance and minded his bracts more than us. Yet another safe encounter with the infamous red squirrel. They’ve never attacked humans, but you can never be too careful when they look at you with those beady little eyes.
