Stretching and yawning the sleep out of our eyes, we wandered up to the bow of National Geographic Venture extra early this morning to take in stunning views of Johns Hopkins Glacier. We had traveled all the way into one of the most northern fjord arms of Glacier Bay National Park. The robust reputation of this park did not lead us astray. Massive walls of ice loomed at the end of the inlets and even let loose a tumble of ice in a thunderous boom. We spent the day navigating down-fjord while viewing coastal brown bears on the beach, whales and otters in the water, and birds aplenty. Later, we cruised by South Marble Island, where eagles, puffins, murres, gulls, and sea lions all congregate. An amazing spectacle and a true tribute to the value of our nationally protected lands.
7/21/2024
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National Geographic Venture
Chichagof Island and the Inian Islands
We left Sitka last night under a low ceiling of clouds. At daybreak, the sun briefly punched through the clouds, illuminating the snowy peaks and calm waters of western Chichagof Island. The ship cruised into the lustrous scene and anchored in Lisianski Inlet. We dispersed to various beaches for different hikes, to experience the wilderness and introduce ourselves to the temperate rainforest and the Tongass National Forest. The tide was low, and many of the groups were able to admire sea stars and intertidal life in the landing zones. Following brunch, we made our way north to the Inian Islands. However, wind and fog prevented us from safely dropping Zodiacs for tours there. Our expedition leader pivoted, and we set course for a known humpback whale feeding area called Port Adolphus. Along the way, we were sidetracked by a small group of orcas! We pivoted again and tailed the whales at a respectful distance. After about an hour, we set course for the humpbacks, and we were rewarded with active groups of feeding, pectoral slapping, and occasionally breaching whales. The whale action didn’t end there — after dinner, we stopped for bubble-net feeding whales!