After spending the night at a quiet anchorage in Icy Strait, National Geographic Sea Lion lifted its anchor and headed toward Dundas Bay, one of the more remote bays in Glacier Bay National Park. Our plans got slightly delayed by a wonderful encounter with a pod of killer whales right at the mouth of the Dundas River! So, after spending an hour in the company of these incredible mammals, and on a perfect morning, we continued to our anchorage. From there we had the option of several exploratory hikes or going for a long Zodiac cruise into the depths of this wilderness waterway. During lunch our vessel repositioned a short distance just off Fox Creek for our afternoon activities of kayaking around the Shaw Islands, or several choices of hikes along the creek!
9/3/2022
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National Geographic Quest
Ushk Bay and Peril Strait
National Geographic Quest arose amidst light clouds within the protected waters of Ushk Bay. This area is known for a salmon stream and yields plenty of opportunity for kayaking and exploring the vast meadows of its inner waterways. On this day’s occasion, guests were able to hike and paddle their way along the coast of Ushk Bay and witness firsthand the life cycle of Pacific salmon making their way upstream. As we transited through Peril Strait, we were lucky to see humpback whales. These immense mammals were “lunge feeding” very near our ship. Being able to witness this event was unique for guests and staff. Lunge feeding is process through which individual whales push their gaping mouths through the surface and collect any fish or planktonic invertebrates in the process. Witnessing this behavior was truly a remarkable experience for all. We will cherish this moment for a lifetime.
