Our second full day exploring Southeast Alaska was a great and very full one. It started with a morning visit to George Island, located north of the large Chichagof Island and near the small archipelago of the Inian Islands. There we divided to go kayaking, tide pooling, hiking, and had a wonderful time. After that, we traveled a very short distance to visit the tiny fishing community of Elfin Cove, and then explored the Inians by boat where we had the pleasure to watch the great abundance of life that makes this area so especial.
8/1/2019
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National Geographic Venture
Baranof Island
After exploring the glaciers and open waters of the northern Inside Passage, we sailed south through the night and returned to the starting point of our journey, Baranof Island. This island, along with Admiralty to the east and Chichagof to the north, is home to one of the highest densities of brown bears in the world. To search for evidence of the bears as they begin their yearly salmon feast and continue our exploration of the temperate rainforest, we anchored in Kelp Bay to kayak and hike the shoreline throughout the morning. Later in the afternoon, we welcomed Dr. Andy Szabo of the Alaska Whale Foundation to learn more about ongoing research taking place in Alaska on the unique bubblenet feeding behavior we witnessed earlier in the trip. Only in Alaska can you experience the forest, salmon, bears, and whales all in one day.
