We awoke in the morning greeted by our first sighting of humpback whales. They showed their flukes while basked in the morning light as they dove in the midst of National Geographic Quest. We then anchored and set upon Fox Creek for exploration. The young explorers got their own hike and saw many signs of the bears that call this area home. In the afternoon, we had Zodiac tours around the Inian Islands. The highlight for sure was the numerous Steller sea lions that surrounded our Zodiacs, looking up at us with curiosity. Truly it was a perfect day here in the Inside Passage of Alaska aboard National Geographic Quest.
7/18/2024
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National Geographic Quest
Freshwater Bay, Chichagof Island
This morning before breakfast, the bridge team of National Geographic Quest spotted orcas in Freshwater Bay. Eager to see this iconic whale species, the bow was quickly occupied by excited guests, staff, and crew. We could not have asked for better conditions. A sunny, calm morning with at least a dozen orcas! Wow! After breakfast we went ashore at Kennel Creek on Chichagof Island and split into aerobic, moderate, and casual walking groups. After yesterday’s wet forest at Fox Creek, we welcomed the firm, dry ground of an old logging road. Along our walks there were abundant signs of brown bears. One of the two aerobic walks had fresh bear tracks on top of their footprints upon their return. In the afternoon cruising down Chatham Strait, we enjoyed time on deck soaking up the sun when an eagle-eye naturalist spotted a group of humpbacks ten miles away! As we approached, we could see that this was no small group, as twenty-three whales were bubble net feeding! This day will long be imprinted in our memories of wild Alaska.