After a foggy passage through Sergius Narrows, National Geographic Venture was making a scenic trip through Peril Strait when a humpback whale was spotted. We came to a stop to see what this whale was up to, and what a great choice that was. The whale was blowing bubbles in a circle underwater for over two minutes. These bubbles rose to the surface in an ever-constricting net, and then the whale burst to the surface, mouth agape. Herring were seen leaping into the air, some escaping, while many more went into the mouth of the whale. We watched this incredible show of intelligence quite a few times. We were amazed by the perfect circles and the beautiful pink inside the mouth of the whale.
After lunch, we explored the temperate rainforest for the first time at Lake Eva. Hikes of different lengths visited a salmon stream with massive trees. Many of us also took to our fleet of kayaks and paddleboards to see the forest from a different perspective. Sunny skies and warm temperatures made for a gorgeous afternoon.
Late in the afternoon, we sailed north into Chatham Strait and enjoyed a gorgeous sunset with a group of humpback whales.
Photo caption and photographer: Looking right into the mouth of a bubble-netting humpback whale with fish fleeing in every direction. Photo by Mike Greenfelder
