The morning greeted us with a light drizzle, which disappeared just as Captain K. called out, “whales!” off the ship’s bow. What a wonderful way to begin our final day! After marveling in the whales, we continued on to our intended destination of Tracy Arm, a magnificent fjord winding 25 miles into the Coast Range. The day concluded with a delicious Captain’s Dinner and the realization that we were once strangers but now friends reliving memories of our shared time upon National Geographic Sea Bird.
5/7/2025
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National Geographic Sea Lion
Inian Islands, Port Althorp
The Inian Islands invoke sheer joy and excitement among the naturalists, which in turn, is transferred to the guests. We set out in Zodiacs, traversing in nearly unprecedented calm conditions through the narrow Mosquito Pass, then around North Inian Island. We observed over a dozen bald eagles and sea lions waiting for the inrushing tide to bring fish to the surface for easy pickings. We also saw a couple of male sea otters peacefully lying on the surface while fluffing up their fur to introduce air for insulation (they don’t have blubber). The weather was classic Alaska…sun grading to rain…then to partly cloudy. In the afternoon, we traveled to Port Althorp for kayaking and hikes. Again, very calm conditions with intermittent sun and rain. The hikes were beautiful, winding across the mud flats and into the thick rainforest painted with several shades of green. Bear trails were observed and used by us as convenient paths to follow. Kayakers slowly paddled across glassy water to enjoy the peace and solitude. The day ended with soft sun.
