After navigating overnight through Glacier Bay National Park, we awoke to see the first rays of sunlight on Margerie Glacier at the northern end of the park. As we approached the gigantic river of ice, we noticed a lone transient killer whale traveling along side of the National Geographic Sea Lion. Our attention, however, quickly returned to the glacier as massive pieces of ice calved from the face and into the sea. Our guests and naturalist staff gathered on the bow as we turned south from Margerie Glacier and, with our binoculars at the ready, we were treated to a day packed full of wildlife sightings including brown bears, mountain goats, and tufted puffins.
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.
