National Geographic Sea Bird spent the day exploring the area around Petersburg, a Norwegian fishing village. Activities included short and long walks through the muskeg, which is a bog with some unique plants including dwarf shore pine trees, the only pine tree that grows in Alaska. Three rounds of guided Zodiac tours explored the harbor and the different types of fishing boats and marine life around the docks. A bike ride was offered during the afternoon, covering 5.5 miles roundtrip through the town and along the coast with a short stop at Sandy Beach for photos. We ended the day with an all-you-can-eat crab feast!
4/30/2024
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National Geographic Sea Lion
Morris Reef, Lake Eva, and Cruising
Truth be told, the last day aboard any National Geographic/Lindblad ship feels incredible and is always special, but personally, I don’t think I have ever had a more magical last day aboard National Geographic Sea Lion . The early morning started off spectacularly, as a dozen killer whales were spotted cruising near our ship. A handful of juveniles would surface with their rostrums rising above the surface of the water. Seeing this many killer whales once would have been amazing on its own, but we managed to also see killer whales on the first day of the trip, creating a perfect bookend finish. After recap, our captain started sailing us to our anchorage for the night when at least a dozen blows were seen at a distance. Most assumed it was humpback whales, but as we neared, we realized we still hadn’t seen a dorsal fin, and the spouts seemed a little stouter than usual for humpbacks. It wasn’t until a whale surfaced close enough to the ship that we realized the white splotches and knuckles were that of a gray whale! We did not expect to see them in this cove, and it just added to the awe and wonder of our amazing expedition.