As National Geographic Sea Bird transited Sumner Strait this morning, we awoke to the gentle urging of expedition leader John Pachuta: “Time to rise for a lovely day in Southeast Alaska, and by the way, a humpback whale is sighted off the bow. While this visit by the massive predator of the Inland Passage was brief, it presaged a day full of magnificent sights and a wide range of activities on land and sea. We found a safe anchorage in a narrow cove amidst densely forested islands, rugged islets capped with tall trees, and intertidal rocky reefs. We were ready for a day of exploration.