Holkham Bay, Endicott Arm, and Dawes Glacier, 7/7/2022, National Geographic Sea Lion
Aboard the
National Geographic Sea Lion
Alaska
We woke this morning to calm waters as we entered Holkham Bay, with the grey and overcast skies that are characteristic of Alaska right now. We soon found a small cove to explore by kayak. We paddled by several cascading waterfalls and small meadows carpeted with sedges as curious harbor seals popped out of the water to observe us.
After lunch, we had a unique opportunity to get a bit closer to some ice. We took a Zodiac tour through an ice field up to Dawes Glacier. We observed extraordinary views of rushing waterfalls and crashing chunks of calving ice from the glacier. Terns and kittiwakes soared overhead, and we observed indescribable shades of blue, aqua, and sapphire in the icebergs all around us. Our Zodiacs were visited by our one-of-a-kind Cocoa Boat, which brought us beverages to keep our hands and spirits warm!
An East Coast native, but a Californian by choice; Andy has spent a lot of his life moving around from place to place. Whether it was moving homes, spending free time growing up exploring state and national parks, or having spent a large amount of hi...
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This morning, we cruised through the infamous Fredrick Sound in search of wildlife. Guests joined our naturalists on the bow, and along with our amazing bridge team, we spotted roughly nine humpback whales, including one mother and calf pair! Once we got to our anchorage, a hike in the Tongass National Forest was planned. Guests were shuttled ashore and off into the forest they went. Cascade Creek is infamous for the bursting waterfall about 20 minutes up trail. Each hiker took time being quiet to listen to the forest and her songs, but not for too long because we are in bear country and we wanted to make sure our presence was known. Faces drenched with waterfall mist, our hikers returned to their home away from home, National Geographic Sea Lion . We closed the day by entering into Wrangell Narrows in the direction of Wrangell, our next stop. During dinner our guests were greeted by a small pod of killer whales off our starboard side, and from the dining room windows, a room full of guests watched as they surfaced a few times and then disappeared. What an absolutely magical day!
We started off the morning by making the way to our landing site within Williams Cove. Although it was a misty morning, the sun soon broke through the clouds, and it turned into another stunning day. After a forest morning hike, the Global Explorers had some driving practice! The young naturalists in training did a great job maneuvering Zodiacs through the Alaskan waters. Soon after, we had our polar plunge, where guests dunked themselves into the frigid ocean! Our day ended with visiting Tracy Arm fjord and traveling via Zodiac to South Sawyer Glacier. The fjord provided a beautiful, glacially carved landscape and gorgeous turquoise ocean water. The glacier itself was quite a sight and even had a few calving events!
If yesterday was a “Whale of a Day,” today was “Icing on the Cake.” Several of us participated in the traditional Polar Plunge — enthusiastically jumping into the icy waters of Sand Bay just after dawn (and before breakfast)! It was bracing by all accounts. After a hearty breakfast, we went ashore for hikes along a stream in Sand Bay, which was a totally different landscape from yesterday. As we walked along the stream at low tide, we saw hundreds of steelhead and a few pink salmon, cautiously making their way upstream to spawn. Many dead salmon were beached along the shore and in the shallow, calm water; some of their lives were over after spawning, while others were clearly the remains of bear meals. Mature and immature eagles were perched on towering Sitka spruce and flying overhead. We saw fresh bear, moose, and eagle tracks in the soft mud. Those who explored the vast and exposed intertidal found all sorts of interesting creatures, including nudibranchs and their egg masses. It was an absolutely perfect morning: calm and quiet conditions, cloudless sky, and pleasant temperatures. After returning to the ship, we sailed up Stephens Pass and into Endicott Arm in search of wildlife and the spectacular views of ice. After reaching Dawes Glacier by mid-afternoon, half the guests embarked on a Zodiac cruise among the “growlers” and “bergy bits” to the glacier. The other guests listened to a presentation from U.S. Fish and Wildlife Rangers about their role in monitoring vessel traffic and camping permits in the Endicott Arm area. The two groups later switched roles. The views were magnificent, and the weather remained perfect. We observed several harbor seals resting on the bergy bits and icebergs, and a single harbor porpoise that cruised through the area. Halfway up the towering fjord wall, a single mountain goat grazed nonchalantly. And of course a large glacier calving event occurred, to the delight of all. Following dinner, we enjoyed the traditional guest slide show and solidified new friendships, before preparing for tomorrow’s departure.