Not often does Alaska greet us with such beaming weather as we have experienced in the first 24 hours of our expedition! Freshly aboard the National Geographic Sea Lion yesterday afternoon, a dazzling double rainbow arched over town and followed us toward the wilderness of southeast Alaska. Reflections delighted photographers after dinner, and today dawned to clear skies and calm seas. We followed a couple humpback whales before breakfast with spouts sparkling in the sunlight; the ocean was so calm we could watch the "footprints" of the whales walking beneath the water alongside our ship.
Morning operations were centered in Pavlof Harbor, where guests zipped to shore for a walk. Some folks made tracks for the mountains, circling part of a lake with high peaks in the background where they found sundews (carnivorous plants) and caught frogs. Other hikers watched a sapsucker flycatching, passed a beaver lodge, and climbed the side of a waterfall. Everyone enjoyed their first stroll in Alaska's temperate rainforest and the plethora of meadow flowers in full bloom.
After lunch, we hit the beach at the Red Cliff Islands. Kayakers took to the water, paddling with curious harbor seals and getting a taste of the quiet serenity only experienced while paddling in a small boat. Others walked the shorelines and dipped into the cool of a forested island. Unbelievably, some of us received sunburns!
We geared up for a week of photography with a photo presentation followed by a delicious dinner. Lunge-feeding whales and a brown bear caused quite a stir at sunset! At last we headed to bed tired and happy, sunlight fading outside the windows.
