The day got off to an amazing start after we arrived in the quaint fishing town of Wrangell, Alaska. There was a plethora of adventures to choose from in the morning, including jet boat tours up the Stikine River, a Tlingit cultural experience at Chief Shake’s longhouse, and even a bear viewing experience at Anan Wildlife Observatory. Throughout the day, we got to see all kinds of animals, from Sitka black-tailed deer to bald eagles to both black bears and brown bears. In the afternoon, we continued exploring Wrangell by hiking up Mt. Dewey, biking to Rainbow Falls, and exploring the local shops in town. Some of us even got to try wild blueberries, huckleberries, and thimbleberries as we walked around town and up Mt. Dewey. The crescendo of the day was when Chief Mate Eamon spotted some humpback whales traveling north through Snow Passage during a gorgeous Alaskan sunset. We cannot wait for the new adventures that tomorrow will bring!
5/8/2024
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National Geographic Sea Lion
Southeast, Alaska
This morning, we cruised through the infamous Fredrick Sound in search of wildlife. Guests joined our naturalists on the bow, and along with our amazing bridge team, we spotted roughly nine humpback whales, including one mother and calf pair! Once we got to our anchorage, a hike in the Tongass National Forest was planned. Guests were shuttled ashore and off into the forest they went. Cascade Creek is infamous for the bursting waterfall about 20 minutes up trail. Each hiker took time being quiet to listen to the forest and her songs, but not for too long because we are in bear country and we wanted to make sure our presence was known. Faces drenched with waterfall mist, our hikers returned to their home away from home, National Geographic Sea Lion . We closed the day by entering into Wrangell Narrows in the direction of Wrangell, our next stop. During dinner our guests were greeted by a small pod of killer whales off our starboard side, and from the dining room windows, a room full of guests watched as they surfaced a few times and then disappeared. What an absolutely magical day!