We had one whale of a day onboard National Geographic Sea Lion. Nothing could surpass the 360ﹾ views of humpback whales spouting and lunge feeding throughout the day. Early in the morning, Captain Nettles spotted some spouts in the distance and what looked like a lot of commotion on the surface of the water. National Geographic Sea Lion headed over and was able to view a group of humpback whales bubble-net feeding! Moving away to continue our adventure, we cruised to Pavlof Harbor for some kayaking and hiking. After the afternoon activities, we witnessed an opportunity of a lifetime…again! Two groups of humpback whales were bubble-net feeding. While the adults were busy feasting, a curious juvenile swam up to the bow of the vessel, giving everyone a nice look at their rostrum. After pulling away, we could see the juvenile breaching again and again as the adults nearby continued to bubble-net feed.
5/7/2025
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National Geographic Sea Lion
Inian Islands, Port Althorp
The Inian Islands invoke sheer joy and excitement among the naturalists, which in turn, is transferred to the guests. We set out in Zodiacs, traversing in nearly unprecedented calm conditions through the narrow Mosquito Pass, then around North Inian Island. We observed over a dozen bald eagles and sea lions waiting for the inrushing tide to bring fish to the surface for easy pickings. We also saw a couple of male sea otters peacefully lying on the surface while fluffing up their fur to introduce air for insulation (they don’t have blubber). The weather was classic Alaska…sun grading to rain…then to partly cloudy. In the afternoon, we traveled to Port Althorp for kayaking and hikes. Again, very calm conditions with intermittent sun and rain. The hikes were beautiful, winding across the mud flats and into the thick rainforest painted with several shades of green. Bear trails were observed and used by us as convenient paths to follow. Kayakers slowly paddled across glassy water to enjoy the peace and solitude. The day ended with soft sun.
