Our expedition began with an instant highlight! I’m talking, of course, about glacier day! Some 35 miles into Endicott Arm is Dawes Glacier, one of four glaciers fed by the Stikine Icefield. Dawes is a true masterpiece. It is 1 mile wide at its face, 250 feet high, brilliant blue, and actively calving. And to get there, we journeyed past a 45-ton whale, beneath peaks of plutonic rock experiencing tectonic uplift, among the crush and tumble of icebergs, and through high winds blasting off the glacier. Oh, and did I mention the Vikings?
9/10/2024
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National Geographic Sea Lion
Pavlof Harbor
The day started with an exciting encounter. Before breakfast we observed a group of bubble-netting humpback whales. It was incredible to see them lunge and hear them breathing at the surface. This was coupled by a glorious pink sunrise. After breakfast we took Zodiac cruises searching for bears near Pavlof Harbor. Even though we did not find any (wildlife is always delightfully unexpected), the scenery was beautiful, and we watched many adorable harbor seals. After thinking the excitement of the day was done, we spotted a large group of whales from a distance. While approaching closer, we realized this group was also bubble-net feeding. Close to the shore, we observed these whales for hours. We even dropped the hydrophone to hear their haunting feeding call before they all lunged at the surface. It was one of the most incredible things any of us had ever witnessed. As if this wasn’t enough, at our sunset recap we got the call that there were killer whales around the ship. It was the most amazing ending to the most amazing day.
