A sighting of killer whales, announced in this morning’s wake-up call, quickly amassed a crowd on deck that was energetic and undaunted by the 41-degree chill. The energy carried through the day as we explored the nutrient-rich waters of Cross Sound in expedition landing crafts, with sightings of more marine mammals such as harbor seals, Stellar sea lions, and sea otters, in addition to so many eagles we could not keep count. Afternoon activities ranged from tranquil kayak exploration to soggy bushwhacking, and we spotted humpback whales before bedtime.
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.