Starting the day with Zodiac tours in the Inian Islands, we saw harbor seals, sea otters, puffins, and many Steller sea lions. The ocean currents seemed to possess a will of their own, nosing and nudging our Zodiacs in whatever direction it pleased. As the ship continued to Port Althorp, the Fairweather Mountainrange came into view, revealing peaks 15,000 feet in ascent. Upon our arrival at the port, the group split between hiking and kayaking operations. Traversing through mud, hikers came across bear tracks, ultimately reaching a stream of spawning salmon, while further downcurrent, kayakers got firsthand vantages of jelly fish and harbor seals.
- Daily Expedition Reports
- 28 Aug 2019
Inian Islands & Port Althorp, 8/28/2019, National Geographic Quest
- Aboard the National Geographic Quest
- Alaska
Alaska's Inside Passage
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Kelp Bay
Southeast Alaska’s rainforest was verdant in the morning rain. Small whitecaps textured the surface of the sea as we searched for marine life. Then, ahead in the distance, a big splash. Then another splash, followed by another. The bridge team expertly moved our ship closer. The young humpback whale had unlimited energy for throwing itself out of the water and flopping back in. We watched this youngster breach over and over until we needed to be on our way. Our next off-vessel excursion was on Baranof Island in Kelp Bay. Bushwhackers and moderate hikers passed along animal trails, climbing through Sitka spruces and western hemlocks. Giant bear’s bread fungus sprouted from downed trees. Delicate flowers, including Jeffrey Shooting Stars, decorated the path. We made our way to the boggy muskeg where few trees survive the wet environment. Streams of snowmelt and raindrops were occasionally blocked by the busy work of beavers. The forest was quiet and warm while hardy Zodiac cruisers toured the shoreline to view waterfalls and gulls hitching a ride on a floating log. Once back on board, we felt the warm comfort of the ship and came to realize that in just a few days, National Geographic Venture has come to feel like home.
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Glacier Bay National Park
A nice morning that only got better and prettier and sunnier! Truly a gift to bring guests here to witness the scale and diversity of ice and wildlife. South Marble Island had so many tufted puffins, and a few unexpected horned puffins, with sea lions and humpback whales galore. During lunch, we cruised up towards Margerie Glacier to view the impressive glacier and look for Arctic terns. Afterwards, we went past Gloomy Knob and saw mountain goats, looked for wildlife at Russel Cut (saw an osprey!), and ended the day with a stunning colorful sunset with an abundance of whales!