What a wonderful end to an exciting expedition! A week of new friendships has enhanced the gorgeous scenery and wildlife throughout Southeast Alaska. Today we spent the morning at Pavlov Harbor to enjoy the temperate rain forest one last time. How amazing is it to know all the trees and plants by name! We hiked along the inner forest and kayaked up to a waterfall where salmon and Dolly Varden were swimming.
We couldn’t leave Alaska without witnessing the majestic beauty of the coastal brown bear. We searched for evidence of these bears and found great big tracks in the mud, fur on the tree trunks, and remains of salmon at a waterfall. But the most exciting event was actually seeing a couple brown bears at the waterfall! Those of us on shore watched from a safe distance while others were able to capture stunning photos from the zodiacs. The bears walked up and down the waterfall looking for salmon. A mother and her cub traversed the falls in search of food. We were reminded that we share this natural beauty with the animals and plants around us.
After a thrilling morning of hiking in the forest and watching bears fish for salmon, we returned to the National Geographic Sea Bird only to get right back into the expedition landing craft for the traditional polar plunge! This was a fantastic way to literally immerse ourselves into Alaska. About a dozen of us dove into the chilly waters while being cheered on by spectators on the boat. Brrrrr!
We warmed up with a lovely lunch and settled in to one last cruise along the towering coastline of Southeast Alaska. Traveling slowly through Chatham Strait on our way to Sitka, we watched for one last humpback whale and bald eagle, and shared memories of our travels.
Our day, as well as our expedition, was capped off by a final farewell dinner, or as our Captain eloquently put it, our “until we see you again” dinner. Stories of the remarkable journey were shared in words and in pictures. Sitting down to share one final meal together, we truly could share our Alaskan experience.
