Our last full day on the National Geographic Sea Lion did not disappoint! We have been watching whale shows off the bow for the last several days, but naturalists were whispering to each other, “We need to see bears.” Expedition Leader Steve made a last-minute call to sail up Sitkoh Bay, and much to our luck we spotted five brown bears by mid-morning. We crossed Chatham Strait to watch a lone humpback flip its flippers as if it were a half-emerged propeller, and then sailed through Peril Strait and the infamously tight and fast-moving Sergius Narrows.
For me, today’s highlight was taking an excursion with our eight young Global Explorers onboard. We hiked fast, laughed, counted banana slugs, and sat and observed a mother brown bear and her cubs. On the return, they tested their Zodiac driving skills and we debriefed a marvelous voyage. It is so great to see so many young travelers coming on our trips, knowing full well that they will be key influencers in the future of our forests.
