William’s Cove & Tracy Arm
The morning started out bright and sunny aboard the National Geographic Sea Bird. Ready to take advantage of such a gorgeous day in Southeast Alaska, we took the opportunity to kayak and hike at William’s Cove. The water was glassy and calm and reflected the beautiful scenery around us.
Our hike led us to explore the old growth forest for the last time of our journey. We walked through bear-made trails, where we noticed that the plants have started to wake up from their long “winter sleep.” Salmon berries, beach strawberries, nagoonberries and many other plants are just on the cusp of blooming, but not quite yet! The kayaks gave us the opportunity to explore the opposite side of the bay, where we saw several waterfalls cascading through the mountains.
After William’s Cove, we cruised towards Sawyer Glacier, where we spent the afternoon. This wilderness area in the Tracy Arm is one of the most spectacular geological formations in Southeast Alaska. We cruised in the Zodiacs to view some of the largest icebergs we have seen on this region.
Much to our surprise, the glacier was especially unstable today and some of the most impressive forces of nature unfolded right in front of us. Today we witnessed two of the most spectacular calvings of a glacier. Without exaggerating, a complete column of Sawyer glacier fell down, and then from under water it rose, producing the most incredible “shooter,” or glacial ice that violently floats, shooting into the air. The water in the fjord in front of us folded up like a wall, creating a wave about 50 feet high. We were awestruck from half a mile away, feeling like we were right next to the glacier with an eagle’s eye view, when it happened. Entering the icebergs, we were all curious what it would be like to experience a calving. When we exited the icebergs, we knew that incredible feeling.
Back on the boat, we relived our experiences from the past week, amazed by how much such a small part of Alaska can leave such a fingerprint in our lives. From the orcas to the humpbacks, the glaciers to the waterfalls, this is one collection of experiences that will forever be in our minds.
The morning started out bright and sunny aboard the National Geographic Sea Bird. Ready to take advantage of such a gorgeous day in Southeast Alaska, we took the opportunity to kayak and hike at William’s Cove. The water was glassy and calm and reflected the beautiful scenery around us.
Our hike led us to explore the old growth forest for the last time of our journey. We walked through bear-made trails, where we noticed that the plants have started to wake up from their long “winter sleep.” Salmon berries, beach strawberries, nagoonberries and many other plants are just on the cusp of blooming, but not quite yet! The kayaks gave us the opportunity to explore the opposite side of the bay, where we saw several waterfalls cascading through the mountains.
After William’s Cove, we cruised towards Sawyer Glacier, where we spent the afternoon. This wilderness area in the Tracy Arm is one of the most spectacular geological formations in Southeast Alaska. We cruised in the Zodiacs to view some of the largest icebergs we have seen on this region.
Much to our surprise, the glacier was especially unstable today and some of the most impressive forces of nature unfolded right in front of us. Today we witnessed two of the most spectacular calvings of a glacier. Without exaggerating, a complete column of Sawyer glacier fell down, and then from under water it rose, producing the most incredible “shooter,” or glacial ice that violently floats, shooting into the air. The water in the fjord in front of us folded up like a wall, creating a wave about 50 feet high. We were awestruck from half a mile away, feeling like we were right next to the glacier with an eagle’s eye view, when it happened. Entering the icebergs, we were all curious what it would be like to experience a calving. When we exited the icebergs, we knew that incredible feeling.
Back on the boat, we relived our experiences from the past week, amazed by how much such a small part of Alaska can leave such a fingerprint in our lives. From the orcas to the humpbacks, the glaciers to the waterfalls, this is one collection of experiences that will forever be in our minds.
