What an amazing day we had! We woke to a lovely vantage of Kasnyku Falls just off our bow. Our undersea team headed out early in the morning for a dive just around the point from the falls and brought back footage to share of all the amazing critters that live just below the surface here. Sailing towards our afternoon anchorage at Iyoukeen we came across a number of humpback whales swimming near the shore. When we landed at Iyoukeen guests were able to hike up to the old gypsum mine pier and along the intertidal zone, while kayakers and Zodiac cruisers were treated to amazingly calm water conditions. We finished our fantastic day with views of a brown bear from the ship and a group of half a dozen humpback whales bubble-net feeding!
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.