Chichagof Island, 8/16/2023, National Geographic Venture
Aboard the
National Geographic Venture
Alaska
Today, Alaska served us the best she has to offer. We started with a series of hikes, taking guests deep into the forests. In the afternoon, we found bears – lots of them!
Jeff Litton is a dedicated advocate for our planet, igniting a passion within people to cherish our Earth. His circuitous journey involves leading individuals into the untamed wilderness, where he unveils the hidden splendor of the natural world. Jef...
Today our guests had an outstanding, rain-free day in the quaint fishing town of Petersburg. A wide array of opportunities included: cultural hikes through the Tongass National Forest with local guides, a bike ride through downtown up to the airport, a harbor Zodiac cruise with Steller sea lions, and a muskeg hike to find the small carnivorous plants named sundews. We ended the day with our classic Alaskan Crab Feast while sailing west towards future adventures.
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.
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.
