The docks were electric with excitement for our first day out on the water and as we pushed off each vessel the crews aboard drifted off with smiles on their faces and joy in their voices.

Coming out of Petersburg we were met with sleepy sea lions and busy fishing boats. Into Fredrick sound we went and kept our binoculars close for hopeful whale sightings.

During this time of year Humpbacks make their way north to feed on Alaska’s nutrient rich waters, and to our luck, some momma Humpbacks will bring newborn calves with them on their 3,000-mile journey from warmer waters, introducing them to some of the most beautiful places in the world along the way.

As we crossed into Stephens Passage from Fredrick Sound, we found ourselves among a pod of Humpbacks all spread out throughout the sound, and our jaws dropped as we spotted a young calf breaching with its mother a few hundred yards away. It’s one of the most astounding things to witness happy whales splashing atop the ocean.

After spending a long while at idle and making sure all the animals were well clear of our vessels, we continued making way into Snug Cove and were quickly met with more humpbacks, throttling back and sitting for a while, we let them maneuver around us before we kept on our route.

With the fleet well into Snug Cove, we were all excited to drop our hooks for the first time and waved hello to our fleet as they passed by, falling back into line and watching as our humpback friends made their own way into their rest of their day.

With anchors dropped and raft secured we took advantage of this summer sunlight and went off on a kayaking adventure.

Quietly exploring the neighboring coves, we took in all the wildlife and enjoyed each other’s company as we learned more about these coves tucked along the coastline of Admiralty Island.

Home safely from all our adventures we tucked into our vessels and enjoyed our first night out on anchor and began stirring with excitement for all the rest of our “once in a lifetime” trip to come.