This morning, we cruised into the protected and awe-inspiring waters of Desolation Sound Marine Provincial Park. This protected marine park is home to immense coastal mountains, a plethora of marine life, and a number of coves for exploring. In the afternoon, we did exactly that as we poked and prodded our way through this boreal rainforest. Others cruised by Zodiac looking for wildlife along the shore and in the water, and the dive team even splashed in to observe the subtidal splendor of this area.
5/15/2024
Read
National Geographic Quest
Tracy Arm, Fords Terror Wilderness
Except for a few hardy souls who were up at 04:00 for crossing the terminal moraine into Tracy Arm, most of us awoke well inside the Fords Terror Wilderness. Shortly before breakfast, we chanced upon a black bear grazing on the shore, and stopped to say “HI”, while Ann Marie started stretch class on the sun deck. As we passed Sawyer Island, we saw that the ice would not be so thick as to hamper our approach to the glacier, and by 09:00 the first of our Zodiacs were headed off in a light, May mist. We saw (and were seen by) many seals as we made our way toward the glacier’s face, and just as the cold and damp were starting to penetrate, we were greeted by the storied cocoa pirates, bearing hot cocoa with a little something extra! After lunch, we stopped for a peek at the Hole in the Wall waterfall, where Captain Paul put our bow right up against the cliffs, so we could all get an up close and personal view! The rest of the afternoon was filled with talks and wildlife viewing as we made our way toward tomorrow’s destination at Glacier Bay National Park! Photos by: Jeff Campbell, Karson Winslow, and Antonio Segura
