Our final full day here on board National Geographic Sea Lion in Southeast Alaska began with one of the great wildlife experiences in the world. Cooperative feeding humpback whales were spotted before breakfast. We quickly dropped the hydrophone to get the full experience and were greeted with the trumpeting calls of two humpbacks herding fish. Soon, a curtain of bubbles rose to the surface and about ten humpback whales surged to the surface, mouths wide open. A breakfast of herring was being devoured. It is so amazing to witness these unrelated animals working together using bubbles and sound to herd fish. We drifted in place as the whales repeatedly fed, many times in very close proximity to the vessel.
After a delayed breakfast for us, we made our way over to Baranof Island and a trail at Lake Eva. Here, a salmon stream led us into some incredible forest. The massive trees here are fed by the salmon, soaking up the nutrients of the dead fish and growing to towering heights. Three species of salmon were in the stream, and bald eagles and river otters were seen enjoying some fresh fish. The forest here is green, lush, and massive, and we enjoyed our last walk in the temperate rain forest.
In the afternoon, we navigated through the narrow pass of Peril Strait, passing between Baranof and Chichagof islands. Gathering in the lounge before dinner, we viewed our amazing photos, reflecting on all that we had seen this week. From the whales to the bears, the glaciers to the forest, the sea lions to the banana slugs, it has been a spectacular week!
