Despite the mountains being rimmed by foreboding clouds, National Geographic Sea Bird managed to avoid southeast Alaska’s torrential rain! We awoke in Chichagof Island’s secluded Ushk Bay and spent our morning exploring the meadows and animal trails that pepper the back of the old glacial outwash.
After seeing several tantalizing bear tracks and piles of scat, our searching was rewarded this afternoon with an unforgettable sighting of a mother bear and a trio of two-year old cubs! While some bears catch one sight of humanity and bolt for the woods, these four bears allowed us to watch for almost half-an-hour!
This evening will be spent cruising up Chatham Strait for the wildlife hot spots of Cross Sound and Inian Islands, and it’s hard to imagine a better start to our voyage!
