The morning found National Geographic Quest in Peril Strait, a notorious location in Southeast Alaska for wildlife encounters, and the day did not disappoint. Before guests even disembarked the vessel, we witnessed a brown bear exploring the low tide zone upon the shore. Disembarking, the guests explored the Tongass National Rainforest by foot, and by kayak, paddling into a waterfall fed lagoon with bald eagles soaring overhead. The afternoon held a talk by National Geographic legend Flip Nicklin, detailing his voyages in the Arctic. Not to be outdone, nature revealed its bounty once again, as we witnessed a mother bear walking the shoreline with two cubs upon the island.
5/18/2024
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National Geographic Quest
Lake Eva and Chatham Strait
We enjoyed a beautiful morning exploring the Sitka spruce and hemlock trees dominating the forest along the Lake Eva trail on Chichagof Island; then in the later part of the day we cruised Chatham Strait. Stunning scenery abounded with the lush green understory of mosses, lichens, berry bushes, deer ferns, skunk cabbage, aspen, and Devil’s club, just to name a few. Under the dotted canopy of the trees, we identified signs of recent bear activity, red squirrel caches, and the flitting dance of birds through the understory. The screeches of a soaring bald eagle and the sounds of the songbirds echoed throughout the forest, as the flowing water of the salmon stream gurgled into the brackish lagoon leading to the sea. Our cruise through Chatham Strait had calm winds and seas; we enjoyed expansive views of snow-capped mountains, and intimate tree-lined coastlines with kelp wafting in the shallower waters. It was a great place for all to reflect on the many sights, sounds, smells, and experiences we’ve had over the past 13 days of this Treasures of the Inside Passage expedition from Seattle to Sitka.