Sand Bay and Tracy Arm
Alaska is a
Long trip from home
Although it is a
Spectacular state with
Kind people
And wild animals
—A poem by guest Caitlin Rotkis, Age 10
We awoke this morning to our Expedition Leader Peter Carey’s soothing voice: “Good morning. It’s 7:00 on National Geographic Sea Bird and humpback whales have been sighted nearby!” Many of us rushed out onto the soggy deck in a variety of clothing. Seeing these magnificent animals spout and then show their flukes as they dove was a wonderful way to start the day!
After breakfast, we anchored at Sand Bay, which is on the mainland of Southeast Alaska, near Tracy Arm. The tide was way, way out and it gave us the opportunity to examine the intertidal zone, including Dungeness crabs that scurried for cover. This morning’s activities consisted of hiking on bear trails or Zodiac cruising. The hikes were perfect for adventuring: the exposed beach, forest, and mudflats with tracks of moose, wolf, and bear beckoned us to explore. Going where others have not walked is really a taste of what Alaska is all about—discovering this vast wilderness for ourselves.
After we were back aboard, Naturalist John Scheerens gave an illustrated slide talk about the Russian history of Alaska. It was interesting to hear the story behind the U.S. purchase of Alaska and how the border between Canada and Alaska was influenced by sea otters.
Then the Sea Bird entered Tracy Arm by crossing its shallow terminal moraine, which is a pile of debris produced long ago when the glacier was at its furthest extent. We noticed the abundance of floating icebergs, some of which were quite large and deep blue in color.
During lunch, we began cruising up Tracy Arm, a narrow and spectacular fjord that averages only a mile in width along its entire 26-mile length. Sheer granitic cliffs towered above us and we could see abundant evidence that the valley had been carved by glacial activity. We could hear "growlers”—small icebergs scraping against the ship—indicating our proximity to tidewater glaciers. The clear blue color of many of the icebergs made them look like precious gemstones and some icebergs even appeared to have been sculpted at the hand of an expert ice-carver. Against the sheer, glacially-polished cliffs we marveled at the classic signs of glaciation: glacial striations, bowl-shaped cirques, U-shaped valleys, hanging valleys, and glacial milk. In the upper part of the fjord are two tidewater glaciers (Sawyer and South Sawyer glaciers), which were joined as recently as 1880.
We found the fjord choked with ice and worked our way carefully through it. When we reached the upper part of the fjord, Zodiacs were launched that allowed us to reach the fjord’s upper reaches and the face of Sawyer Glacier, where we were able to observe several calving episodes. As we approached to within a quarter mile of the 200-foot-high face of this tidewater glacier, we were impressed by the deep crevasses and blue ice. In comparing pictures of the glacier taken several years ago, it was obvious that the glacier had both thinned and retreated dramatically.
Once back on board, we had our final night’s recap and then National Geographic Sea Bird slowly retraced its wake and maneuvered back through the icebergs as we exited out of the glacially-carved fjord. After the Captain’s Farewell Dinner, we began cruising north toward Juneau, our port of disembarkation and the end of a fabulous week’s voyage. Emotions flowed strongly as we bid this great land one last farewell—at least for now.
