We began the day bright and early by pulling up to the docks of Bartlett Cove at 6:45 a.m. Shortly thereafter, our feet hit solid ground. Guests had various hikes to choose from, including an aerobic option and a casual stroll. We were all back aboard National Geographic Venture by 9:00 a.m. and heading toward Johns Hopkins Glacier with stops in between. We saw two brown bears, mountain goats, countless sea otters, and tufted puffins along the way. The glacier itself was stunning; we were able to spend nearly an hour at the toe, amongst the harbor seals hauled out on icebergs.
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.
