Glassy calm waters coupled with warm rays of sunshine made for a stupendous day exploring aboard National Geographic Venture in Southeast Alaska! Waterfalls gently tumbled down from great heights, and between the tall trees in the narrow fjord of Patterson Bay located on the southern end of Baranof Island. The cool sea water flooding this glacially carved valley was unusually clear and allowed viewers to observe the undersea environment. We peered down the long stripes of kelp and spotted multiple species of sea stars. The most dramatic discovery was a large aggregation of moon jellies, numbering in the thousands. We also enjoyed the acrobatic displays of salmon jumping in the air and quickly darting up the nearby stream.
The rest of our afternoon was dedicated to cruising in Chatham Strait. We found so many humpback whales! Several were lazily resting and breathing at the surface. Others were more active with some breaching and pectoral slapping. We couldn’t ask for a better backdrop with snow-draped mountain peaks in the distance.
To really top it all off, we found a pod of killer whales swimming in the glow of an orange sunset. Who knows what will come tomorrow, but I am sure glad we could all experience and share today!
