Today we spent the morning exploring one of the most active wildlife hotspots of Southeast Alaska. The Inian Islands are a small archipelago that is located in the heart of Cross Sound. The channels that form between the islands serve as the connection between the open Gulf of Alaska with the protected waters of the Inside Passage. This place literally becomes the gateway for whales, sea lions, fish, and a plethora of other wild animals.
8/1/2019
Watch
National Geographic Venture
Baranof Island
After exploring the glaciers and open waters of the northern Inside Passage, we sailed south through the night and returned to the starting point of our journey, Baranof Island. This island, along with Admiralty to the east and Chichagof to the north, is home to one of the highest densities of brown bears in the world. To search for evidence of the bears as they begin their yearly salmon feast and continue our exploration of the temperate rainforest, we anchored in Kelp Bay to kayak and hike the shoreline throughout the morning. Later in the afternoon, we welcomed Dr. Andy Szabo of the Alaska Whale Foundation to learn more about ongoing research taking place in Alaska on the unique bubblenet feeding behavior we witnessed earlier in the trip. Only in Alaska can you experience the forest, salmon, bears, and whales all in one day.
