Pavlof Harbor, Chatham Strait, Red Bluff Bay
Early morning found the National Geographic Sea Bird entering Freshwater Bay, heading toward Pavlof Harbor, our destination for this morning’s activities. After a few humpback whale and bald eagle sightings we dropped anchor, ate breakfast, and headed for shore. Many of the guests went for walks, while others did a Zodiac cruise around Freshwater Bay. A second round of activities also included cruises, plus a chance to kayak in Pavlof Harbor. Soon it was noon, time for lunch back on board the National Geographic Sea Bird and the start of our afternoon ship cruising.
Soon we left Freshwater Bay and turned south in Chatham Strait to spend the afternoon looking for wildlife. The weather was a little drizzly and cool, so we had an opportunity to hear a lecture about traveling south-to-north through the different zones of Alaska, from the temperate rain forest, to the tundra. As often happens, right in the middle of the lecture orca or “killer whales” were spotted from the bridge, and the call was sent out to postpone the rest of the lecture, get jackets and hats, grab cameras and binoculars, and head outside to see these top predators of the oceans. We were not disappointed, there were a dozen or so animals swimming slowly along at the mouth of Peril Strait. They were spread out over a large area, but the captain maneuvered the ship very carefully so we could have a good look at these magnificent creatures. There were several small calves with their moms, along with a few large males, surfacing all around us. Excitement was running high, and just when it seemed like it couldn’t get better, the orca approached the ship and gave us such a close look that we were filling our camera viewfinders with individual animals, looking down their blowholes, and watching them swim underwater right below us! From time to time the calves would frolic at the surface, and we even had a full breach by one of the big males. It was still rainy and cool, but nobody seemed to mind as we were having the experience of a lifetime with these amazing creatures!
Soon it was time to leave or friendly orca and continue our journey down Chatham Strait, with a few more stops along the way. First we visited Kasnyku Falls, a dramatic cascade of water plummeting down the east side of Baranof Island. Then right after dinner we entered Red Bluff Bay for an up close experience in this scenic and protected inlet on the lower eastern side of the Island. What a wonderful way to end a special day!
