It’s the first full day on board National Geographic Venture for our group of intrepid explorers, and what a spectacular day it was. The morning greeted us with calm, glassy waters and sunny skies as we hauled anchor from our overnight location. Allison led an invigorating stretch class as we cruised through Sergius Narrows. Guests enjoyed a wonderful breakfast buffet of blueberry pancakes, made-to-order omelets, and fresh fruit. It was a pleasant and relaxing morning on board. A talk on phone photography from Brooke was momentarily interrupted by a breaching humpback whale, and we briefed our excited guests on the ins and outs of hiking and kayaking in Alaska.

The afternoon was jam-packed with activities: kayaking, bushwhacking, Zodiac cruising, and even a dive by the undersea team. They were able to record some video footage of the underwater world in Rodman Bay. The Zodiac cruise found an active salmon stream and saw more eagles than they could count, the bushwhackers came back with muddy boots and spruce needles in their hair, and the kayakers enjoyed wide open freedom as they paddled around the beautiful bay. The first day of our cruise was a huge success and we can’t wait to see what Alaska has in store for us tomorrow!