This morning aboard National Geographic Sea Lion, we had a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to observe several coastal brown bears fishing in a salmon stream. As we approached the waterfall, we saw a mom with three cubs cuddled together on the grass; they were unbelievably relaxed and indifferent to our presence. After we snapped some special photos and shared awe-inspired looks, this mom then took her cubs into the river and watched them run around, practicing their salmon hunting skills. It was a day that both guests and staff will treasure forever.
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.