It’s been an unbelievable day here in Southeast Alaska. We woke up to beautifully calm seas as we cruised through small inlets near Glacier Bay, with several wildlife sightings including sea otters, humpback whales, and a number of seabirds. As we cruised towards the Inian Islands, the amazing sightings only improved. Once we arrived in the Inian islands, we loaded up the expedition landing craft and spent the morning exploring the wonderful offerings of these spectacular islands. We had incredible views of Steller sea lions feeding on fish during the incoming tide, bald eagles sweeping the waters for any signs of prey, harbor seals delicately bobbing up for air, sea otters precariously watching us from a distance, and a number of other animals. The morning was definitely a highlight of the voyage so far, and we still had an afternoon of activities yet to come.
After lunch, we arrived at Fox Creek and spotted a coastal brown bear foraging on the coast just before we embarked the expedition landing craft for the hike and kayak excursions. We spent some time admiring the beautiful bear from a distance from the bow of National Geographic Sea Bird, and then we moved on to our afternoon activities. Kayakers had a marvelous time exploring and circumnavigating Shaw Island while hikers adventurously marched around Chichagof Island in search of the beautiful displays of flowers that are in bloom, among the other amazing flora and fauna that the coastal temperate forest had to offer. It was without a doubt one of the most spectacular days we’ve experienced so far, and we look forward to many more to come.
