The fog was thick and the air crisp when we awoke today in Frederick Sound. By mid-morning, the Alaskan sun had burned off all of the fog so we donned our sunscreen and doffed our jackets.
After a couple of days spent in remote wilderness areas, it almost felt unusual to see other boats and people scuttling around as we pulled into Petersburg this afternoon. Times are hard in the world right now – we felt grateful to be here exploring this new location by Zodiac, foot, and bike.
7/4/2022
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National Geographic Venture
The Fourth of July aboard National Geographic Venture proved vastly different from those its passengers had experienced in the past. Within the confines of the Inian Islands, rolling fog replaced fireworks, hotdog feasts were replaced with sea lion feeding frenzies, and we played in the cathedral of the wilderness in lieu of on the baseball diamond. One constant remained, however: bald eagles proliferated overhead. The morning was spent kayaking as passengers explored the rocky shores of the isles. With their traveling companions, guests enjoyed intimate glimpses of the kelp forest and pigeon guillemots. Zodiac cruises rife with wildlife encounters filled the afternoon. As we zipped between the islands, hordes of subadult Steller sea lions approached our craft with intense curiosity. Their heads poked from the depths only briefly before they darted off, moving in hypnotic waves. Rockfish caught in the gyrations of the sea were forced to the surface where they were promptly snatched up by gulls, bald eagles, and sea lions. Removed from the chaos of currents and predation, sea otters wrapped within the kelp reminded us of the fantastic biodiversity of Southeast Alaska. Currently, National Geographic Venture sits at the precipice of Glacier Bay National Park. As a waning sun bathes the shores in a golden glow, all aboard wait with bated breath for the adventures tomorrow is sure to hold.
7/3/2022
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National Geographic Venture
National Geographic Venture crosses the bar at 6:00 a.m. as it enters Endicott Arm. The bar is the terminal moraine created by the retreat of the Dawes Glacier, which is the day’s destination. Out and about on the bow, a guest exclaims, “That is nice,” and a naturalist responds, “Yes, that is really a nice piece of gneiss. Be careful not to take it for granite.” There is nothing like a bit of geology humor to start the day. Large groups of scoters and murrelets, a handful of humpback whales, and a baker’s dozen of Steller sea lions are out and about in the early morning. The interaction of light on the ice entranced us as we spent time at the glacier’s face while white thunder rolled across the bay. The fjord is a place for pondering time and the erosional power of ice as one gazes up the vertical walls or gazes out at the arêtes and horns that mark the ice’s depth during the glacial maxims of the Pleistocene. The fjord’s colors soften on our exit as the sun drops on the horizon, bringing the day towards its culmination.
7/1/2022
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National Geographic Venture
South Sawyer Glacier in Tracy Arm-Fords Terror Wilderness rarely witnesses a beautiful and sunny day. The surrounding Tongass National Forest is called a temperate rainforest because of the reliability of precipitation. Today, however, was marked by radiant illumination. We toured the fjord by ship and took to small boats in the morning. We navigated amongst the ice and harbor seals towards the magnificent calving face of the South Sawyer Glacier. After lunch, the ship slowly cruised down-fjord to visit the legendary Hole-in-the-Wall Waterfall. We wound down the day with a final recap from the staff and a farewell dinner. We will all miss Alaska, and we are grateful for the experiences we shared here.
