Alaska’s Kenai National Park and Preserve, 7/20/2019, National Geographic Orion
Aboard the
National Geographic Orion
Alaska
The final day of our epic voyage through Western Alaska ended with a spectacular visit into Kenai Fjords National Park. We sailed up Northwestern Fjord to the tidewater glacier that flows out from the Harden Ice Field: the largest icefield that exists entirely within the United States. Extended Zodiac cruises were punctuated with visits from hot-chocolate-bearing crew members and throaty calving events from the face of the glacier.
After lunch we sailed out of the fjord and into the sunshine. We spent the afternoon watching humpback and fin whales swim amongst the islets of Kenai accompanied with Steller sea lions and Dall’s porpoise. Sea otters made another appearance as they bobbed peacefully by, and even the elusive harbor porpoise showed itself to the select few who could catch a glimpse.
Pacific Northwest born James Hyde grew up immersed in the Salish Sea, on Vashon Island with Seattle as his backdrop. A passionate traveler from a young age, James explored four continents before finishing his degree at Western Washington University's...
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All on board National Geographic Orion were excited this morning as the ship let go our anchor in Kalsin Bay on Kodiak Island. Deploying our fleet of expedition watercraft, we quickly fanned out to explore the myriad reefs and islets that are to be found in this bay. Our efforts were rewarded with sightings of sea otters, harbor seals, and a plethora of different sea birds. The morning highlight was undoubtedly a trio of humpback whales, subsurface feeding in the mirror flat waters of the bay. Our afternoon was spent in the main city of Kodiak! While some explored the city itself, others enjoyed the beautiful nature surrounding the outskirts of the city looking for birds, or hiking to Fort Abercrombie, or simply meandering the cultured trails with their cameras. Kodiak has something for everyone!
After a night of gentle rocking as we sailed through the Shelikof Strait, we awoke to a perfectly calm morning and found National Geographic Orion anchored in Geographic Harbor on the Katmai coast. Katmai National Park is a massive park, on the southern coast of mainland Alaska that is home to the well-known Brooks Falls. We were set to explore the lesser traveled and rugged coast of this beautiful park while looking out for our favorite bruins, the brown bear. The many small bays along this coastline are usually filled with brown bears that come down from the hills to feed on the sedges in the flats and salmon in the streams. Zodiacs set off for two rounds of cruises among the myriad of small islands that make up this magnificent harbor. We quickly found brown bears in the water, poking among the rocks, and perusing the shoreline in search of food. The tide was out, the table was set, and bears were there to feast on the tidal bounty. We found many females and their cubs exploring the tidal zone while other bears were moving along the shoreline. During lunch Brent announced that because the conditions were so nice, we would offer kayaking as an option for the afternoon. With bellies full, we headed to the main lounge to hear Andy describe our disembarkation options, and then James gave a quick briefing for the intrepid kayakers. The afternoon cruises set off in search of sea otters, and the kayakers made their way to a remote platform to board their boats and explore the coastline. With the sun high overhead, it was an afternoon to remember for all. Bears were swimming in the water, otters lounged near the shore, and the kayakers explored every nook and cranny of the coast. When everyone returned to the ship, Brent announced that we would offer a Polar Plunge to celebrate!! There were only a handful of crazy hardy swimmers, but they seemed to enjoy the refreshing waters of Geographic Harbor. After another captivating recap, we all shared stories from the day over another wonderful meal. It was another fantastic day that was enjoyed by all.
