We had an amazing day in one of our favorite places today, the Inian Islands. We started off knowing it was going to be a spectacular day when we received an early wakeup call by our expedition leader to inform us that orcas were swimming under our bow. This orca pod had the cutest little baby with them, and it continued to surface high out of the water. We also saw some tail-slapping from the pod, all before breakfast! We boarded Zodiacs and watched Steller sea lions catch fish in the currents ripping through these islands. We watched the sea lions rip apart salmon and rockfish, and they came over to our boats to check us out. As if that wasn’t special enough, we saw humpback whales in large groups and listened to them vocalize. After lunch, we went to Fox Creek for hiking and kayaking. The hike focused on wildflowers, bear tracks, bear scratching posts, and adventure, while we focused on invertebrates, kelps, and leisure while kayaking. It was a well-rounded afternoon.
5/3/2025
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National Geographic Sea Lion
Tracy Arm-Fords Terror Wilderness Area
National Geographic Sea Lion cruised throughout the night, heading south through Lynn Canal and making her way towards Tracy Arm-Fords Terror Wilderness Area. Early in the morning, we were on approach to Holkham Bay, where we “crossed the bar,” which consists of glacial outwash at the entrance to an extensive fjord system. This wilderness area was established by Congress in 1980, and 653,179 acres of land fall under federal wilderness protection. This fjord system is made up of two arms approximately thirty miles in length. Our goal was Endicott Arm, where we would spend the entire day. During the last ice age, thousands of feet of ice covered this entire area. When the retreat of ice began, these fjords were carved by that ice. This allowed sea water to enter, offering excellent cruising for many ships. National Geographic Sea Lion spent the day cruising and dropping in many of our kayaks and Zodiacs, so all had a chance to paddle and/or cruise this picturesque waterway.