Today was another fantastic Southeast Alaskan day aboard National Geographic Quest. Before breakfast, the ship anchored in a bay on the northern end of Baranof Island. From here, guests explored the land on a hike along the Eva Stream trail, inspecting the status of current salmon runs and admiring the old growth forest that is rarely seen in this region of the Tongass National Forest. Kayaking was also available to investigate the aquatic life found in a tidal lagoon located at the mouth of the stream. Here, the fresh water from Lake Eva mixes with the salt water of the rising tide, creating a very interesting brackish ecosystem. After morning operations, National Geographic Quest headed east out of Peril Strait, encountering a group of bubble-net feeding humpback whales for the third time this week. Field staff estimated the group to contain at least 14 individuals—the largest so far—that swam directly under the ship in pursuit of their baitfish prey.
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.
