After a morning of adventurous wildlife tours on the highly productive waters of the Inian Islands, National Geographic Sea Lion repositioned for an afternoon of hiking at Fox Creek of Chicagof Island. Chicagof Island is one of the “ABC” islands in Southeast Alaska, known for their populations of brown bears. A perfect Southeast Alaska day, with a light rain, gray skies and an abundance of sights and sounds to absorb, we explored a small section of the Tongass National Forest. To our surprise and delight, telltale signs of the circle of life and onset of summer were in abundance.
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.
