Alaska provides. Sometimes it even lends a bit of sunshine. Taking advantage of such opportunities, National Geographic Sea Lion shuttled its guests ashore to Ideal Cove to ford through the expansive green of the temperate rain forest. With searching eyes, guests bore witness to a variety of bird species including the red-breasted sapsucker accompanied by the hidden songs of Pacific wrens and varied thrushes. The newly unfolded leaves of devil’s club reached toward the holes in the canopy, while the skunk cabbage found itself amassed with the company of beetles to help them achieve pollination.
Venturing into the small fishing community of Petersburg, our guests continued to enjoy the day amongst the giant vessels of the commercial fishing industry. A short drive across the channel allowed for a walk in the unique environment of the Alaskan muskeg, giving insight to the specific adaptations that plants have made make to survive the anaerobic environment – the greatest example being the round-leafed sundew, an insectivorous plant that traps small flies within its sticky dew.
Dinner featured a feast of fresh Dungeness crab, followed by a presentation by Andy Szabo, the director of the Alaskan Whale Foundation. Just as he was wrapping up his compelling and informative talk, a group of lunge-feeding humpback whales decided to put on a show for our eyes and cameras to digest. These days feel long, and there is a reason. Nowhere else does one achieve such impactful experiences with such raw presentation. This is truly wild country, both in the high diversity of creatures who live here, but also in the people who choose to call it home.
