While our first full day in Southeast Alaska started with an overcast sky and intermittent showers, it didn’t dampen our enthusiasm. Eternally vigilant we scanned shore and sea for wildlife and we were richly rewarded! By the end of the day our count of brown bear sightings was at eight, we had spotted one humpback whale lunge feeding incredibly close to the shore, had seen several Sitka black-tail deer and oh, we’d even spotted a squirrel! We hiked among the rich, velvety greens of the Tongass National Forest and kayaked along the shoreline and into the hidden lagoon of Lake Eva.
8/1/2019
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National Geographic Venture
Baranof Island
After exploring the glaciers and open waters of the northern Inside Passage, we sailed south through the night and returned to the starting point of our journey, Baranof Island. This island, along with Admiralty to the east and Chichagof to the north, is home to one of the highest densities of brown bears in the world. To search for evidence of the bears as they begin their yearly salmon feast and continue our exploration of the temperate rainforest, we anchored in Kelp Bay to kayak and hike the shoreline throughout the morning. Later in the afternoon, we welcomed Dr. Andy Szabo of the Alaska Whale Foundation to learn more about ongoing research taking place in Alaska on the unique bubblenet feeding behavior we witnessed earlier in the trip. Only in Alaska can you experience the forest, salmon, bears, and whales all in one day.
