Overnight, the bridge team of National Geographic Venture navigated Icy Strait toward Glacier Bay National Park. We spent our morning enjoying walks in Bartlett Cove at the southern end of the park. Back on board, we spent the afternoon cruising the beautiful fjords while looking for wildlife and enjoying the glaciers. We were treated to presentations from several of our naturalists, including a talk on glaciers and a salmon dissection by undersea specialist Tanish Peelgrane. Afterwards we enjoyed cocktails on the bow while watching the sunset at Johns Hopkins Glacier. After a full day of wildlife watching and learning, we gathered for dinner and a final lecture on pinnipeds. And just when we thought it couldn’t get better, we were woken up by our expedition leader for a viewing of the northern lights! What a fantastic and unforgettable day!
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!