Time and tide wait for no man, or ship for that matter. They dictate the start of our day which begins with our passage through the Sturgis Narrows. Intimate views of the coastal meadows and forest for those out on the decks. Birders are birding, whale watchers watching, and naturalist naturalizing; all of which sets up an underlying melody for the day. The afternoon finds us anchored in the Lake Eva area, a fantastic place for hikes and Zodiac tours. A plethora of fungus abound on the forest floor among the old growth due to the rains. Salmon pulse in the bays and streams, some beginning their final push to reproduce, while others have completed their cycle and begin to complement the next.
- Daily Expedition Reports
- 29 Aug 2021
Sturgis Narrows and Lake Eva, 8/29/2021, National Geographic Quest
- Aboard the National Geographic Quest
- Alaska
Daniel Baldwin, Naturalist
An educator at heart, Dan finds great joy in helping others explore and connect with the world around them. He has taught marine sciences in the Florida Keys and on Catalina Island, science and math in international schools in Mexico, Costa Rica, and ...
Read MoreShare Report
Alaska's Inside Passage
VIEW ITINERARYRelated Reports
9/6/2024
Read
National Geographic Quest
Glacier Bay National Park
We awoke to a wall of ice towering outside of the ship. Sometime in the night we anchored alongside the monumental Johns Hopkins Glacier. Along the base of the glacier, hundreds of harbor seals lounged on the rafts of ice, and stunning mountain views accompanied the impressive natural feature for which the park was named. After eating breakfast with a glacial blue backdrop, we pulled anchor and began our exploration of the park in earnest. We visited several more glaciers, including prime examples of tidewater, hanging, and beached varieties; we also observed large numbers of sea otters and surf scoters. After lunch we turned our focus to wildlife and were rewarded with views of mountain goats on Gloomy Knob, as well as a brown bear excavating a comfortable resting spot on the beach. Later we were treated to a surprise concert by one of our guests (award winning musician Jim Peterick). We wrapped up the day with a visit to South Marble Island where dozens of tufted puffins and large rafts of Steller sea lions gave excellent views.
9/5/2024
Read
National Geographic Quest
Inian Islands and Salt Chuck Bay
Today we began our adventures by dropping anchor at one of our favorite locations in Southeast Alaska, the Inian Islands! We disembarked National Geographic Quest to hop into our Zodiacs to explore this wild archipelago. Later in the day we repositioned to an anchorage in Port Althorp, known as Salt Chuck Bay. We got the chance to explore by kayaking as well as hiking through the meadow in the bay and the lush rainforest. It was a fantastic day in Southeast Alaska!