Today we awoke to a sunny, clear day in Icy Strait. As we looked on the Inian Islands, it was clear that while the Inians are always beautiful, today was spectacular. We began our day with Zodiac tours around the Islands. As we were pushed by the current, we looked out at sea lions, otters, eagles, and puffins. After a short repositioning, we then set off trekking through Pt. Althorp. We kayaked and hiked around the cove and uncovered signs of bears. Lastly, we crossed into Pelican, a boardwalk town few visit and spent our night in a truly Alaskan town. Alaska continues to highlight its natural wonders and unique culture day after day.
8/1/2019
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National Geographic Venture
Baranof Island
After exploring the glaciers and open waters of the northern Inside Passage, we sailed south through the night and returned to the starting point of our journey, Baranof Island. This island, along with Admiralty to the east and Chichagof to the north, is home to one of the highest densities of brown bears in the world. To search for evidence of the bears as they begin their yearly salmon feast and continue our exploration of the temperate rainforest, we anchored in Kelp Bay to kayak and hike the shoreline throughout the morning. Later in the afternoon, we welcomed Dr. Andy Szabo of the Alaska Whale Foundation to learn more about ongoing research taking place in Alaska on the unique bubblenet feeding behavior we witnessed earlier in the trip. Only in Alaska can you experience the forest, salmon, bears, and whales all in one day.
