Overnight we traveled through Chatham Strait, and this morning we arrived at Shaw Island to explore Fox Creek. A few naturalists went ashore first to scout the bear trails for safety; we were then ready to welcome our guests on the island. We divided into three large groups to explore this majestic old-growth forest. Along the way our naturalists explained the intricate relationships of this diverse environment, a “web of life” as one called it. In the afternoon, we cruised near the Inian Islands looking for marine mammals. It didn’t take long before we saw humpback whales demonstrating feeding behavior. It was another wonderful day in Southeast Alaska aboard National Geographic Sea Lion.
9/10/2024
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National Geographic Sea Lion
Pavlof Harbor
The day started with an exciting encounter. Before breakfast we observed a group of bubble-netting humpback whales. It was incredible to see them lunge and hear them breathing at the surface. This was coupled by a glorious pink sunrise. After breakfast we took Zodiac cruises searching for bears near Pavlof Harbor. Even though we did not find any (wildlife is always delightfully unexpected), the scenery was beautiful, and we watched many adorable harbor seals. After thinking the excitement of the day was done, we spotted a large group of whales from a distance. While approaching closer, we realized this group was also bubble-net feeding. Close to the shore, we observed these whales for hours. We even dropped the hydrophone to hear their haunting feeding call before they all lunged at the surface. It was one of the most incredible things any of us had ever witnessed. As if this wasn’t enough, at our sunset recap we got the call that there were killer whales around the ship. It was the most amazing ending to the most amazing day.
