The second morning of our expedition found us in the glassy calm of Dundas Bay surrounded by fog-shrouded mountains. Sea otters, marbled murrelets, and a brown bear patrolling the intertidal were our welcoming committee. We explored this part of Glacier Bay National Park on foot and by tours in our expedition landing craft. In the afternoon, we visited nearby Idaho Inlet for kayaking, paddle boarding and walks near Fox Creek. Post dinner we marveled at a congregation of humpback whales in the middle of Icy Strait as the sun set over Glacier Bay.
9/10/2024
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National Geographic Sea Lion
Pavlof Harbor
The day started with an exciting encounter. Before breakfast we observed a group of bubble-netting humpback whales. It was incredible to see them lunge and hear them breathing at the surface. This was coupled by a glorious pink sunrise. After breakfast we took Zodiac cruises searching for bears near Pavlof Harbor. Even though we did not find any (wildlife is always delightfully unexpected), the scenery was beautiful, and we watched many adorable harbor seals. After thinking the excitement of the day was done, we spotted a large group of whales from a distance. While approaching closer, we realized this group was also bubble-net feeding. Close to the shore, we observed these whales for hours. We even dropped the hydrophone to hear their haunting feeding call before they all lunged at the surface. It was one of the most incredible things any of us had ever witnessed. As if this wasn’t enough, at our sunset recap we got the call that there were killer whales around the ship. It was the most amazing ending to the most amazing day.
