We had a wonderful day! We were able to see an abundance of life in the Inian Islands! Whales came bursting from the sea below. These humpback whales can be up to 60 feet long. The whales push fish towards the shoreline so they can feed. Upwelling from below also pushes rockfish to the surface. Unable to decompress, the fishes’ eyes and bladders bulge, and the fish become food for the Steller sea lions feasting in the waters. The sea lions are all males, bulking up to become larger. Bulls can be up to 2500 pounds and eleven feet long. A series of birds feed on these fish. Bald eagles are the primary feeders. Juveniles have brown heads. As they mature, the feathers on their heads turn white, and their beaks turn yellow. We also saw pigeon guillemots and cormorants. These marine birds swarmed the island, and drifting around the rocks was another endearing surprise. Sea otters! Multiple sea otters were tied together to form what is called a raft. These sea otters have millions of hairs, so many that they do not need blubber or brown adipose fat to keep them warm. Later in the evening, guests entered Dundas Bay for a relaxing and meditative hike. Dundas is part of Glacier Bay National Park. Guests had the chance to kayak and Zodiac as well. During these amazing excursions, the undersea team collected footage that included marvelous views of massive ribbon kelp. The footage played during cocktail hour. Overall, it was an exceptional day!
5/13/2025
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National Geographic Venture
Basket Bay
A day of Zodiac cruising in Basket Bay on Chichagof Island brought wild beauty and unforgettable encounters. As the morning mist thinned, we traced the rugged shoreline beneath towering forested cliffs, where ochre sea stars clung to rocks and dense clusters of blue mussels covered the intertidal zone like armor. Bald eagles circled overhead, and a river otter slipped along the kelp-strewn shore. Not long into our cruise, a humpback whale surfaced nearby, vanishing as suddenly as it appeared. Then, the real show began. A pod of five orcas emerged from the north, cutting through the water with smooth, deliberate power. Their tall dorsal fins knifed the surface in silence as we viewed them from a respectful distance, the pod weaving in and out of view among the swells. Onshore, waterfalls thundered from the cliffs, swollen with rain, sending spray across the rocks. The air smelled of salt and cedar. We lingered near one cascade, engines low, taking in the raw energy of water meeting sea. By the time we turned back toward the anchorage, the sky had turned dark and williwaws descended upon us. We were all smiles as memories of our special orca encounter shone brightly.
