Well we’ve started this trip off with a bang! In the 24 hours since leaving Sitka, we’ve seen 14 coastal brown bears, two pods of killer whales, a humpback whale bubble net feeding, harbor seals, Steller sea lions, an epic sunset, and the biggest raft of sea otters I’ve ever seen. Unfortunately, we’ve seen everything, and it seems if we see a calving glacier, we might just have to end the trip early. Or maybe we should just set the record and have an epic trip!
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.
