As we left the Aleutian Islands, National Geographic Resolution sailed over the deep Aleutian Trench, tantalizing those standing vigil on the bridge, in hopes of cetacean encounters. Those who held on until the end were rewarded with two majestic sperm whales logging at the surface, accompanied by a brief Murphy’s petrel and several Buller’s shearwaters skirting the minimal waves. To top it all, the day ended with the most incredible pastel sunset, painting the sky in hues of orange and pink, shrouded in a vertical sea of purple.