National Geographic Sea Bird dropped anchor in Haines, Alaska, today as our guests and staff overflowed with excitement. The day was action packed with adventures, such as hiking Mt. Riley and Battery Point, learning about Klukwan Village and Tlingit native culture, floating down the Chilkat River, bicycling up the Lynn Canal, and even fly fishing. After morning excursions, we got to explore the quaint main street of this coastal Alaskan town. The eccentric “Hammer Museum” was a smash hit among guests and boasts the second largest hammer in the world in its collection. Many people also visited the Haines Brewing Company or the Port Chilkoot Distillery for a refreshment after a long but rewarding day. Thank you to all our local guides as well as Sea Bird staff, crew, and officers for a wonderful day!
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.
