Few people were up and ready for the day when the first wildlife sighting of the trip was announced over the PA system. Killer whales had been spotted off in the distance as National Geographic Sea Lion slowly cruised out of Peril Strait and into Chatham Strait. The bow quickly filled with people clutching cups of coffee in one hand and binoculars in the other. Three killer whales, two females and one male, zigzagged through the gray waters and had everyone guessing at where they’d surface next. Between the tall, black dorsal fin sightings, we also spied several blows from humpback whales and fleeting glimpses of harbor porpoises. It was an exciting first morning!
At 7:30 breakfast was announced and we said farewell to the whales and continued our way up Chatham Strait. Not long after breakfast, however, we came across a female brown bear and her cub, along with three other adults, perusing the beach in search of food. The ship nosed closer to shore and we were rewarded with great views of the group before they disappeared into the forest.
For the afternoon, we anchored at a place called Pavlov Harbor on Chichagof Island. The plan was to do nature walks along bear trails, kayaking, and a scenic cruise in our small expedition boats along the perimeter of the bay. It was our first introduction to the temperate rain forest of Southeast Alaska and there was a lot to look at and explore. Despite the wet weather, we had a fantastic afternoon. When it was almost time to wrap up activities and return to the ship for the evening, two bears emerged at the base of the waterfall to catch their dinner. Kayakers and hikers alike got close-up views of the feast and those who were already back on board were shuttled out to the waterfall for a look.
For the first day of a voyage up here in Southeast Alaska, this one – a day full of exciting wildlife encounters – was definitely a memorable one.
