Our first morning dawned still and shrouded in mist. We woke in Saook Bay, a small inlet on Chichagof Island. Sitka black tailed deer grazed along the shoreline, pausing to let their fawns nurse. Dall’s porpoise zipped along the surface of the calm gray water, sending up sprays of water off their small triangular dorsal fins. A lone humpback whale led us back into the bay with gasping breaths and languid waves of its tail.
We headed north along the coast of Chichagof Island, searching for more wildlife. Our efforts were rewarded with a coastal brown bear feeding on sedges on the beach. Shortly after seeing the bear, a group of humpback whales swam into view. We were lucky enough to see them briefly bubble net together; a rare cooperative feeding technique used by only a handful of whales.
Lunch found us anchoring in Pavlov Harbor. A mellow coastal brown bear came out to meet us, enjoying the beach across Pavlov Creek. It sat down in a lush grass to graze on sedges, watching and sniffing at us with mild interest. Many of us got close looks from the expedition landing craft. We explored the forest edge by foot and paddled around the protected bay in kayaks. An extremely high tide added an extra sense of adventure to this afternoon’s excursions.
A gentle rain began just as we came back aboard the National Geographic Sea Lion. We exchanged stories in the lounge, comparing notes on our first of many adventures.
