Overnight, National Geographic Sea Lion brought us through Wrangell Narrows and Clarence Strait from the town of Petersburg, Alaska to Misty Fjords National Monument. We spent the morning enjoying the views from the decks of National Geographic Sea Lion as we slowly cruised through the fjord. In late morning, we boarded small passenger vessels to explore the area. We watched our ship come through famous Owl Pass, and we got a closer look at the forest, the waterfalls, the salmon, and the eagles. We got an even more intimate experience afterwards when we explored the area by kayaks. We watched as the zombie salmon in the streams fulfilled the last days of their cycle, which is critical to the old growth forest ecosystem. We even got to see a double rainbow over our ship! Later in the afternoon, naturalist and cultural interpreter Sharon Grainger gave a wonderful talk about Native American culture and art. In the evening, we enjoyed the views from the deck as our captain navigated us back through Behm Canal towards Dixon Entrance. Tomorrow, we arrive in Canada!
9/5/2024
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National Geographic Sea Bird
Glacier Bay National Park, Southeast Alaska
“Glacier Bay Day” is a naturalist’s delight, with its beautiful landscapes, plentiful wildlife, and the majesty of the wilderness. I spent much of the day on the bow, scouring my surroundings for creatures great and small with guests, staff, and crew alike. The day began with views of Lamplugh and Johns Hopkins Glaciers, the latter of which provided ample views of calving and harbor seals. As we continued our cruise through the bay, we were treated to glimpses of bald eagles, red throated loons, and harlequin ducks who flew in front of our bow. Terrestrial wildlife had their moment at Gloomy Knob, where well over a dozen mountain goats roamed the cliffside and four brown bears lumbered through the alluvial plains of the park. I considered the day’s highlight to be our evening cruise past South Marble Island. Tufted puffins, common murres, pelagic cormorants, and gulls of various clades took to the skies while sea otters, Steller sea lions, and a lone humpback whale provided an epic aquatic display.