On Friday morning National Geographic Sea Lion found herself in the beautiful and protected cove of Port Althorpe. This bay is notoriously calm, often allowing for perhaps our most weather dependent activity; kayaking. Today was no different, so guests were given the difficult choice between water sports and intrepid bush-whacking hikes. The afternoon led the ship to the Inian Islands, an outcropping of islands which border the open ocean. Because the tide rushes in and out of these islands so heavily, the wildlife is a spectacle to be seen. Expedition landing craft cruises here did not disappoint, with many species of furry and feathery friends.
4/30/2024
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National Geographic Sea Lion
Morris Reef, Lake Eva, and Cruising
Truth be told, the last day aboard any National Geographic/Lindblad ship feels incredible and is always special, but personally, I don’t think I have ever had a more magical last day aboard National Geographic Sea Lion . The early morning started off spectacularly, as a dozen killer whales were spotted cruising near our ship. A handful of juveniles would surface with their rostrums rising above the surface of the water. Seeing this many killer whales once would have been amazing on its own, but we managed to also see killer whales on the first day of the trip, creating a perfect bookend finish. After recap, our captain started sailing us to our anchorage for the night when at least a dozen blows were seen at a distance. Most assumed it was humpback whales, but as we neared, we realized we still hadn’t seen a dorsal fin, and the spouts seemed a little stouter than usual for humpbacks. It wasn’t until a whale surfaced close enough to the ship that we realized the white splotches and knuckles were that of a gray whale! We did not expect to see them in this cove, and it just added to the awe and wonder of our amazing expedition.