Today we awoke in beautiful Cleveland Passage (mainland Alaska). The only thing on today's agenda was exploring Frederick Sound aboard the Safari Spirit and the skiff. We've never been fans of "sea days" but on this type of cruise, you'll really need one! All this hiking, kayaking, and skiffing is tiring! But, to be honest, even the sea day is very active since you'll be scanning the water for signs of whales, seals, sea lions, and porpoise and watching the shore for bears.In addition to some awesome humpback sightings, we took the skiff out to Brothers Islands and a steller sea lion haul-out. Despite their loud barks, these animals are actually quite cute!
The slower pace allowed for some great conversation on the yacht and Nitakuwa gave a humpback whale presentation during cocktail hour. Nitakuwa is just one reason this trip is so fantastic. Her enthusiasm knows no bounds and she can answer just about any question you may have about the wildlife you're seeing. I only wish we had more time for her enrichment lectures.We did enjoy one special surprise this afternoon. American Safari Cruises launched a new ship, the Safari Explorer, in May. She sails Alaska in the summer and Hawaii in the winter. She was passing by so the captains decided to let passengers skiff to the opposite ship for a tour. What fun! In a future blog post, I'll talk more about the 36-passenger Safari Explorer and will include some photos of the vessel. She's a beauty!
After the tour was complete, we received a new passenger: Dan Blanchard, the CEO and president of American Safari Cruises. He spends several weeks each season visiting the yachts, talking with passengers and looking for ways to improve the experience. Dan is a fascinating character who's led a very interesting life. His stories were a hoot! Here he's pictured singing about the state of Alaska. What a great guy! (Oh, and he lucked out and happened to join our yacht for a special Alaskan king crab fest at dinner!)
Over the past few days, we've all commented to the crew that everyone seems so close...a tight-knit group with a true family atmosphere. Well, it turns out that many members of the same family work for the cruise line. For example on this sailing, our lead steward Kim Killingsworth is Dan Blanchard's sister and Mate Danny is, in fact, Dan Blanchard's son. No wonder this team is so good!Tonight we anchor at Baranof Island's Red Bluff Bay and will make our first "port call" tomorrow at Baranof Springs. Can't wait!
Photos © Leonard Hospidor and may not be used without permission
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