A beautiful morning was spent cruising and looking for whales as we sailed towards Endicott Arm. We had a wonderful encounter with humpback whales just before breakfast, swimming and fluking quite near to the boat. This afternoon we were able to sail less than three miles away from the face of Dawes Glacier, before lowering zodiacs cruise around the icebergs. We were fortunate to have cloudy weather with us throughout the day enriching the colors of the icebergs. The actively calving glacier was a spectacular sight to be seen and wonderful way to end our first day in southeast Alaska.
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.
