Endicott Arm: Dawes Glacier & Ford’s Terror
What a wondrous place this is! In these surroundings I feel tiny, amazed, and grateful. Intellectually I try to grasp that water has carved the immense landscape around me. Snow fell in the mountains . . . and now a glacier flows downhill, smoothing rock mountains, and grinding granite to a fine powder that turns the water a milky, pale green. With loud rumbles like thunder, the powerful glacier adjusts itself. Chunks of ice the size of cars fall from the face and into the 36 º F water. Waterfalls tumble down crevices. Blood stains icebergs where seal pups were just born, and tiny pups sleep alongside their mothers. This is a place of creation and birth... of landscape and life.
At the head of Endicott Arm, we skimmed the icy water in Zodiacs among crowded small icebergs, and got to within a quarter mile of the Dawes Glacier. Wilderness rangers who patrol the area by kayak came aboard and answered questions as we traveled down the 34 mile long fjord. In the afternoon the ship anchored in a picturesque side-fjord of Endicott Arm called Ford’s Terror. An enormous iceberg the size of a large house was grounded 200 meters behind the ship. We explored the waterway by Zodiac, and gazed up at enormous, smooth rock walls, and countless waterfalls. The surroundings were simply breathtaking.
During cocktail hour, many of our guests shared a favorite moment or impression from their week-long voyage. It was touching and heart-warming to hear how shipmates were affected by our shared experiences. Judith and David Edelman performed on guitar and fiddle an original song about the trip. Every week is special, but this one seems especially so . . . this is Captain Jeff Kalbach’s final voyage on Sea Bird. He is on to a new and exciting job. We will miss you dearly, Captain Kalbach, and the humpback whales will miss you, too. We wish you the very best.
What a wondrous place this is! In these surroundings I feel tiny, amazed, and grateful. Intellectually I try to grasp that water has carved the immense landscape around me. Snow fell in the mountains . . . and now a glacier flows downhill, smoothing rock mountains, and grinding granite to a fine powder that turns the water a milky, pale green. With loud rumbles like thunder, the powerful glacier adjusts itself. Chunks of ice the size of cars fall from the face and into the 36 º F water. Waterfalls tumble down crevices. Blood stains icebergs where seal pups were just born, and tiny pups sleep alongside their mothers. This is a place of creation and birth... of landscape and life.
At the head of Endicott Arm, we skimmed the icy water in Zodiacs among crowded small icebergs, and got to within a quarter mile of the Dawes Glacier. Wilderness rangers who patrol the area by kayak came aboard and answered questions as we traveled down the 34 mile long fjord. In the afternoon the ship anchored in a picturesque side-fjord of Endicott Arm called Ford’s Terror. An enormous iceberg the size of a large house was grounded 200 meters behind the ship. We explored the waterway by Zodiac, and gazed up at enormous, smooth rock walls, and countless waterfalls. The surroundings were simply breathtaking.
During cocktail hour, many of our guests shared a favorite moment or impression from their week-long voyage. It was touching and heart-warming to hear how shipmates were affected by our shared experiences. Judith and David Edelman performed on guitar and fiddle an original song about the trip. Every week is special, but this one seems especially so . . . this is Captain Jeff Kalbach’s final voyage on Sea Bird. He is on to a new and exciting job. We will miss you dearly, Captain Kalbach, and the humpback whales will miss you, too. We wish you the very best.
