Tracy Arm
Tonight as we gathered in the lounge for our end of the day conversations and recap with the naturalists, we once again raised our glasses to toast a wonderfully well-spent day of activity and exploration here in southeastern Alaska. The day might have officially began with Expedition Leader Jason’s call to roust us from our beds, but in reality many of us awoke earlier, excited and perhaps even a bit concerned by the sounds of bergy bits glancing off our stout little ship’s hull. We were sailing up Tracy Arm, a fjord often described as being among the best in not only Alaska, but the entire world. The blue-tinged chunks of ice floating at the surface clearly indicated that the glacier ahead had endured an active past few days. And as our skilled captain edged us ever closer to the tongue of South Sawyer glacier, we were amazed by just how much ice must have been breaking off the glacier front. At times it seemed we might not even attain our goal of reaching the fjord’s terminus, for the brash ice was so incredibly dense. Still we crept along, seemingly inches at a time. While the captain and the ship’s crew were hard at work with maneuvers, we had time to marvel at our surroundings and began to find even more to be excited about than simply the breathtaking scenery.
Snowy-white mountain goats were spotted on precarious perches high up on the steep walls of the fjord. And though they were too distant to observe in great detail, we couldn’t help but gape at their skill and agility in such treacherous terrain. Still, not all of the wildlife required a pair of binoculars for appreciation. Soon we found the ship practically surrounded by resting harbor seals upon the numerous small ice floes. Too many to count among the bobbing and ever-changing menagerie, their numbers had to have been well over 50. Most seemed content to witness our passage with only a slight tilt of their heads in our direction. Others were perhaps a bit startled at the appearance of our white and blue motorized iceberg, but a few (like the one seen here) actually took an interest in this new visitor to their secluded locale and swam over for a closer inspection. Amazingly, they were quite comfortable in the dangerously cold waters thanks to their thick layer of insulating blubber.
Though the morning would prove difficult to top in terms of awe and wonder, we filled our afternoon taking in more of Alaska’s splendor. We hiked along well-used bear paths in search of the local flora and fauna. Many of us kayaked under a suddenly clearing sky which allowed for up-close views of a picturesque waterfall. And just as we turned back for the ship and a much-needed moment of reflection, the sun painted an enormous, full rainbow on the misty shoreline abeam of the ship. It’s not often that both ends of a rainbow are so easily seen, but then again, it’s not often that you find yourself in Alaska; a place where nature still reigns supreme.
Tonight as we gathered in the lounge for our end of the day conversations and recap with the naturalists, we once again raised our glasses to toast a wonderfully well-spent day of activity and exploration here in southeastern Alaska. The day might have officially began with Expedition Leader Jason’s call to roust us from our beds, but in reality many of us awoke earlier, excited and perhaps even a bit concerned by the sounds of bergy bits glancing off our stout little ship’s hull. We were sailing up Tracy Arm, a fjord often described as being among the best in not only Alaska, but the entire world. The blue-tinged chunks of ice floating at the surface clearly indicated that the glacier ahead had endured an active past few days. And as our skilled captain edged us ever closer to the tongue of South Sawyer glacier, we were amazed by just how much ice must have been breaking off the glacier front. At times it seemed we might not even attain our goal of reaching the fjord’s terminus, for the brash ice was so incredibly dense. Still we crept along, seemingly inches at a time. While the captain and the ship’s crew were hard at work with maneuvers, we had time to marvel at our surroundings and began to find even more to be excited about than simply the breathtaking scenery.
Snowy-white mountain goats were spotted on precarious perches high up on the steep walls of the fjord. And though they were too distant to observe in great detail, we couldn’t help but gape at their skill and agility in such treacherous terrain. Still, not all of the wildlife required a pair of binoculars for appreciation. Soon we found the ship practically surrounded by resting harbor seals upon the numerous small ice floes. Too many to count among the bobbing and ever-changing menagerie, their numbers had to have been well over 50. Most seemed content to witness our passage with only a slight tilt of their heads in our direction. Others were perhaps a bit startled at the appearance of our white and blue motorized iceberg, but a few (like the one seen here) actually took an interest in this new visitor to their secluded locale and swam over for a closer inspection. Amazingly, they were quite comfortable in the dangerously cold waters thanks to their thick layer of insulating blubber.
Though the morning would prove difficult to top in terms of awe and wonder, we filled our afternoon taking in more of Alaska’s splendor. We hiked along well-used bear paths in search of the local flora and fauna. Many of us kayaked under a suddenly clearing sky which allowed for up-close views of a picturesque waterfall. And just as we turned back for the ship and a much-needed moment of reflection, the sun painted an enormous, full rainbow on the misty shoreline abeam of the ship. It’s not often that both ends of a rainbow are so easily seen, but then again, it’s not often that you find yourself in Alaska; a place where nature still reigns supreme.
