Throughout our voyage on National Geographic Sea Lion, guests have been treated to more and more sunshine. On the final day of our journey, the reliable ship and caring crew delivered us to the face of Dawes Glacier. This glacier is part of the Stikine Icefield — just south of Juneau — and is located in Endicott Arm, a portion of the Tracy Arm-Fords Terror Wilderness area. Guests on Zodiac tours were treated to some spectacular iceberg viewings as well as a few booming calving events. Calving occurs when a tidewater glacier is undercut by the incoming and outgoing tides on the face of the glacier. The overhanging portions of the glacier are thus connected by weakening threads of ice and are ultimately overtaken by their own weight. This all manifests in a majestic downfall — hundreds of feet of ice plunge into the water, creating a massive flow and the bellowing sound of “white thunder” throughout the valley.
5/13/2024
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National Geographic Sea Lion
Wrangell
It was a quintessentially Southeast Alaskan morning: cool, blue-gray, and shrouded in ethereal mist. The whole ship was eager to explore the town of Wrangell. As we disembarked, we prepared for many different adventures: most took off up the Stikine River, others enjoyed a stroll along a beach renowned for its petroglyphs, and still others were witnesses to a traditional Tlingit ceremony at Chief Shake’s Tribal House. I spent the morning leading a hike up Mt. Dewey, where guests enjoyed their first taste of the temperate rainforest. Bald eagles, banana slugs, and the spring blooms of the understory were among the highlights. Now we are gathered in the lounge to enjoy libations and merriment as we transit through the Wrangell Narrows. Our expert Bridge team will weave through the constricted passageway, aided by decades of experience and the navigational installments of mariners past. Full of local seafood and eager for tomorrow, we will rest well.