Haines, Alaska, 5/28/2024, National Geographic Sea Lion
Aboard the
National Geographic Sea Lion
Alaska
It was a lovely day in Haines! To be greeted with so much sun and clear skies was truly a blessing. In the morning, guests departed the ship for a variety of hiking, biking and fly fishing activities. They explored and learned about this lush temperature rainforest and the adornment of bird and plant life across this glacially carved landscape.
Afternoon activities included more hikes, fly fishing, and a fascinating outing on the Klukwan River Float tour. It included education of the Tlingit history and was followed by an exciting raft float down the silty Chilkat River Valley.
Alex grew up surrounded by the endless outdoors of Portland, OR, his summers filled with nature day camp, hiking, basketball, mountain biking, and more basketball. After working as a nature day camp teacher with Portland Parks & Recreation through hi...
Enter travel details to receive reports from a single expedition
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Send Daily Expedition Reports to friends and family
*By clicking the submit button, I authorize Lindblad Expeditions to email me; however, I am able to unsubscribe at any time. For more details, see our Privacy Policy.
Please note: All Daily Expedition Reports (DERs) are posted Monday-Friday,
during normal business hours. DERs are written onboard the ship only and do
not apply to land-based portions of expeditions.
It was hard to beat the final day of this voyage. On a misty morning in Tracy Arm Fjord, we were met with beautiful green waters and cascading falls down gorgeous mountain faces. We made our way up the winding fjord looking for wildlife and enjoyed the incredible scenery. In the morning, we headed out on Zodiac tours, viewing gorgeous turquoise icebergs and watching the face of South Sawyer Glacier. While appreciating harbor seals in the area, we learned about the natural history of the landscape and wildlife. We were lucky enough to even see the glacier calve. A splash and hearing the thunderous sound of the ice separating from the glacier face was extremely exciting! After a wonderful Zodiac trip, we cruised on the ship towards South Sawyer Glacier for our polar plunge. The ocean water is cold in Alaska, and even chillier when next to a glacier! However, we had some brave guests that wanted to take their plunge into the Alaskan waters. It was a wonderful experience cheering each other on and seeing others dive into the water. After the plunge, we visited a beautiful waterfall called “hole in the wall”. Guests were able to get close, getting covered in the mist of the waterfall. It was definitely a highlight of the trip. Overall, it was an exceptional day.
After spending the past two days exploring the remote reaches and corners of Chichagof Island, it was time for a day of adventure in one of our favorite Alaskan small towns. Haines straddles a unique peninsula that juts out into the Lynn Canal and is framed by exquisite mountain ranges and dynamic tidal flats. The choices for guest excursions in Haines are abundant and diverse; rafting and visiting a tribal village, fly fishing, hiking the highest peak in the area, going on a guided bike tour, or free time to explore town with its many museums and unique shops. There are no poor choices when it comes to deciding what to do for the day. Brown bears, dolly varden, sockeye salmon, harbor seals, bald eagles, banana slugs the size of real bananas, and plenty of other endemic flora and fauna were sighted by guests throughout the day. And of course, what better way to celebrate a successful day in Haines than a glorious bottomless crab feast back onboard National Geographic Sea Lion ? We rounded out the evening with a lively and spirited round of trivia in the lounge, which is always a smashing hit, with tonight being no exception!
Today we visited George Island, which is a great place to learn about the terrestrial ecosystem of Southeast Alaska, and to witness some of the history of WW2. The waters around George Island are ideal for kayaking as well. We cruised around the Inian Islands, where we encountered sea otters, humpback whales, bald eagles, and Steller sea lions. It was a full day!