The first evening and full day of our voyage were full of learning, adventure, and exploration. We began with time on the bow to watch for wildlife, and we discovered our first coastal brown bear just before sunset. Our morning viewings revealed many birds and misty scenery all around. After breakfast and safety briefings, our photo instructor presented tips for photographing with smartphones and photography overall. Immediately after, we were treated to a humpback whale not far from the ship. After a delicious lunch, we made a wet landing on shore near Lake Eva, where we spent the afternoon kayaking and hiking in the rainforest. A fun start to our trip!
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.
