We woke up to a beautiful crisp sunny day in Haines, ready for a day of adventure and exploration. We all headed off to enjoy different morning activities, including a river float through an eagle preserve, a visit to a traditional Tlingit village, a guided cycling tour, a fly-fishing trip, and a hike up a large mountain nearby.
After this adventurous morning, some of us went out on a second round of activities while others chose to wander the quaint streets of the small Alaskan town. We returned to the ship for dinner, pulled anchor, and headed south along the Lynn Canal to continue our trip.
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.
