Southeast Alaska rolled out the welcome mat for us on our first day together on the National Geographic Sea Bird! She started by giving us a taste of her favorite weather—cool temperatures, thick fog, and heavy rain. We responded by dressing in all our best waterproof gear, covering our cameras in plastic bags, and spending most of the day outside!
When we got to Morris Reef she cued the humpback whales and we watched two groups of whales practice a cooperative feeding technique called bubblenet foraging. Bubblenet feeding involves the blowing of a net of bubbles, a very specific vocal call, and a simultaneous burst of open-mouthed whales at the surface of the water. With the aid of the hydrophone we were even able to hear the two separate calls coming from both groups of whales. Alaska is one of the few places where humpback whales have been seen using this technique, and there is a limited population here that participate, so we were privileged to be a part of it this afternoon.
After lunch we anchored at Pavlov Harbor where Alaska introduced us to one of her temperate rain forests and its surrounding cove. Paddling a kayak through the cove we encountered harbor seals, colorful jellyfish, and jumping salmon. From a distance we watched a few humpback whales take breaths at the surface and show off their flukes, and we thought that was the perfect ending to a perfect day. But Alaska had a bigger grand finale in mind and so we ended our day with BEARS! Three beautiful brown bears showed up to fish at the falls and we found ourselves in front row seats on shore, from kayaks and from expedition landing craft.
Thank you, Alaska, for treating us to such a wonderful day! What could you possibly have in store for us tomorrow?
