The penultimate day of the expedition brought National Geographic Sea Lion to Baranof Island, where travelers were treated to a medley of morning activities, including hiking, kayaking, paddleboarding, and Zodiac cruising. Whether through the use of legs or paddles, everyone enjoyed exploring the Alaskan wilderness one last time. Later in the afternoon much to the delight of younger passengers, the Global Explorers were offered Zodiac driving lessons. Afterward, passengers had the opportunity to brave the Polar Plunge. Those who participated had their closest encounter yet with the chilling Alaskan waters as they leapt out, submerging themselves in the name of adventure. After a morning full of activity, the remainder of the afternoon was spent cruising through Morris Reef and Chatham Strait, resulting in amazing views of both landscape and wildlife, including a mother humpback whale swimming with her calf.
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.