Saturday morning found National Geographic Quest ready for action at Lake Eva. Everyone had the chance to explore an Alaskan old growth forest on a variety of different hikes, or paddle the bay on a kayak. There was even a chance to experience the chilly Alaskan waters with a polar plunge after lunch! The afternoon found us cruising for wildlife as the ship twisted through Peril Strait on the way to Sitka. The humpbacks were happy to make one last performance as the last light faded in the sky.
8/1/2019
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National Geographic Venture
Baranof Island
After exploring the glaciers and open waters of the northern Inside Passage, we sailed south through the night and returned to the starting point of our journey, Baranof Island. This island, along with Admiralty to the east and Chichagof to the north, is home to one of the highest densities of brown bears in the world. To search for evidence of the bears as they begin their yearly salmon feast and continue our exploration of the temperate rainforest, we anchored in Kelp Bay to kayak and hike the shoreline throughout the morning. Later in the afternoon, we welcomed Dr. Andy Szabo of the Alaska Whale Foundation to learn more about ongoing research taking place in Alaska on the unique bubblenet feeding behavior we witnessed earlier in the trip. Only in Alaska can you experience the forest, salmon, bears, and whales all in one day.
