Today we woke up to a true Alaskan day here aboard National Geographic Sea Bird. Through the misty clouds, we could see the beautiful bay of Port Althorp. After breakfast, we boarded our expedition landing crafts and headed to shore. Here we were offered the options of kayaking and three different hikes.
The rain lifted just as we were heading out, and the conditions were perfect for photography and exploration. On the long hike, we were able to make it all the way across the intertidal zone to a salmon stream. There were remnants of dead salmon that had successfully spawned, and further downstream there were still hundreds of live salmon continuing their journey. The other two hikes were able to poke their heads into the Tongass National Rainforest for the first time and witness the magic of this beautiful place. The kayakers paddled around a gorgeous cove and could barely count the number of bald eagles flying and dotting the trees.
After our morning of excursions, we zipped back to the ship just in time as the rain began pouring down.
Cozy inside the ship, we enjoyed an amazing lunch while we moved to our next exciting location, the Inian Islands. We donned our rain gear and headed out in the true spirit of exploration. Cruising around, we were given the chance to see Steller sea lions, sea otters, and a variety of different bird species. As the wind and rain picked up, we decided to pick up anchor and head out in search of wildlife and calmer waters. As we sailed away from the Pacific Ocean, the skies cleared, and we were treated to an absolutely stunning sunset. After dinner we headed out to the bow and watched as an amazing moonrise cleared the clouds and blazed in the sky. It was an amazing day aboard National Geographic Sea Bird.
