What a day. We woke up to some of the most scenic cruising we’ve experienced so far. North Vancouver Island is a stunning region of British Columbia. Today, the Sunshine Coast lived up to its name with glorious weather. Guests soaked in the sun and lounged on the sundeck as if we were in tropical waters. In the afternoon, we jumped right into Zodiac cruises. Many boats saw harbor seals hauled out on rocks, sunbathing just like us. The clear waters made it easy to see numerous starfish and oyster beds below. After Zodiac cruising, we made it to land to hike along the trail to Unwin Lake. It is our final night, and we ended the evening by watching the guest slideshow and reminding ourselves of all the memories we made. Safe travels to all.
9/5/2024
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National Geographic Sea Bird
Glacier Bay National Park, Southeast Alaska
“Glacier Bay Day” is a naturalist’s delight, with its beautiful landscapes, plentiful wildlife, and the majesty of the wilderness. I spent much of the day on the bow, scouring my surroundings for creatures great and small with guests, staff, and crew alike. The day began with views of Lamplugh and Johns Hopkins Glaciers, the latter of which provided ample views of calving and harbor seals. As we continued our cruise through the bay, we were treated to glimpses of bald eagles, red throated loons, and harlequin ducks who flew in front of our bow. Terrestrial wildlife had their moment at Gloomy Knob, where well over a dozen mountain goats roamed the cliffside and four brown bears lumbered through the alluvial plains of the park. I considered the day’s highlight to be our evening cruise past South Marble Island. Tufted puffins, common murres, pelagic cormorants, and gulls of various clades took to the skies while sea otters, Steller sea lions, and a lone humpback whale provided an epic aquatic display.