Peril Strait and Freshwater Bay, 8/12/2024, National Geographic Quest
Aboard the
National Geographic Quest
Alaska
Today, we began our journey in Alaska’s Inside Passage. Overnight, we left Sitka and headed towards Peril Strait. It wasn’t long until our first incredible wildlife sighting presented itself. Killer whales!
We continued towards Freshwater Bay with plans to hike ashore at Wachusett Cove before heading around the corner to Pavlov Harbor. A favorite spot to visit on our voyages.
Nathan Kelley developed his love for nature as a kid at his family’s cabin in Northern Wisconsin. Family fishing trips, camping, hiking and a trip to his first National Park in the Everglades, all vigorously shaped his passion for the natural world. ...
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It isn’t very often that the clouds part in Southeast Alaska, but we are ecstatic when these rare days line up with Glacier Bay Day! Along with some impressive calving from Margerie Glacier, the bay treated us to a rich array of wildlife including numerous species of seabirds, humpback whales, sea otters, and Steller sea lions. We finished the day with hikes in Bartlett Cove near the park headquarters before heading west for the Inian Islands.
What a day full of adventure and wildlife! Our day began about 7:15 under sunny skies, as the captain skillfully maneuvered the bow of the ship close to a limestone wall for us to view a Tlingit pictograph of the sun. Little is known about the pictograph, but it is believed to be 300 years old. After breakfast, our guests went on various excursions, including hikes in the forest, explorations along the shore, and kayaking. Much to our surprise, we found a juvenile Humbolt squid (Dosidicus gigas) that was still alive but dying right along the shoreline. All the guests had the rare opportunity to photograph this denizen of the deep! As we made our way into Frederick Sound, we were lucky enough to find a group of bubble-netting humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae)! This is a cooperative feeding behavior that is practiced by only 80 whales out of the approximate 2500 Humpbacks that summer in Southeast Alaska. As we pulled away from the humpback whales, we came upon a huge male killer whale (Orcinus orca) that we were all able to observe at an appropriate distance. Killer whales are not actually whales but the largest of the dolphins. It was an absolutely amazing day from beginning to end!
