Overnight we traveled from Sitka through Peril Strait, and this morning we woke to damp air and cool, blustery winds – welcome to Alaska! We paused to watch a humpback whale, and then went ashore in Pavlof Harbor, where we hiked into the coastal temperate rainforest or used kayaks to explore the rocky shoreline and stream.
- Daily Expedition Reports
- 21 May 2018
Chatham Strait and Pavlof Harbor, 5/21/2018, National Geographic Sea Lion
- Aboard the National Geographic Sea Lion
- Alaska
Berit Solstad, Naturalist
Berit grew up on the rocky shores of Marblehead, Massachusetts, where she explored the marine environment through changing tides and seasons, nurturing a love of natural history and marine biology.
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We started our first full day on board by visiting the Dawes Glacier by Zodiac. As we floated among the growlers and bergy bits, we experienced multiple calving events. We observed many harbor seals with cute, brand-new pups relaxing on the ice. While cruising in the afternoon, we came across a few humpback whales. One humpback hung out close to the ship, lunge feeding and solo bubble netting. Another whale had some fun breaching in the distance, and a third showed off by tail slapping. We ended the day with a great view of Five Finger Lighthouse and look forward to our day in Petersburg tomorrow.
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Our final day here in Southeast Alaska was filled with steep fjords, awe-inspiring glaciers, fierce polar plungers, a number of humpbacks, and a beautiful sunset. As we spent the last day in Zodiacs, driving and adrift amongst the ice in front of Dawes Glacier, we were reminded of how tiny we are on this blue rock that abounds with natural beauty and ecological wonders. As the harbor seals swam by, we celebrated the journey with our shipmates, some partaking in a polar plunge. Then we turned off into the sunset surrounded by the sounds of humpback exhalations. Alaska has been a wonder, and we have been thoughtful visitors in a place fragile yet vast.