National Geographic Sea Bird arrived in Kelp Bay, where there were calm waters and sunny skies. The conditions were perfect for exploring by kayak or stand-up paddleboard, as well as for heading ashore for an exploratory walk into the forest where we spotted a brown bear grabbing a salmon from a stream! After our morning adventures, we went for expedition landing craft cruises to look for wildlife and we were so fortunate to witness a group of at least 11 humpback whales cooperatively feeding together. In the evening, we toasted the finale of our expedition with a delicious captain’s dinner.
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.
