Alexandra Van Nostrand, Assistant Expedition Leader
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Daily Expedition
Reports
02 Jul 2021
Petersburg and LeConte Bay, 7/2/2021, National Geographic Venture
Aboard the
National Geographic Venture
Alaska
We pulled into the quaint fishing village of Petersburg to low lying clouds hugging the mountains. While some chose to hike the beautiful landscape, including walks through the famous Southeast Alaska muskegs, others chose Zodiac tours of the area. Still others enjoyed a leisurely bike ride around the town. Visitors to Petersburg were treated to the beginning of wildflower season, with lupine, daisies, and forget-me-nots scattered along the trails.
After a morning of biking and appreciating muskeg plants on our adventures, we hopped back onboard to cruise to LeConte Bay where we were greeted by icebergs. The partially cloudy sky was a perfect backdrop to fully appreciate the beautiful blue hues of the ice. We toured not only the bergs in the water, but also made a surprise landing for photo opportunities with icebergs that had been stranded during low tide.
Svea grew up outside of Boston, Massachusetts, with woods and a reservoir behind her house and a “when it gets dark” curfew. Hours were spent exploring the woods and fishing in the reservoir. This love of nature inspired her to pursue degrees in Fish...
Alexandra is happiest when chasing waterfalls, exploring wilderness, or reveling in a good story. With a background in experiential learning, logistics and global fieldwork, she loves to marvel in the vastness of the polar regions and is thrilled to ...
Early in the morning, National Geographic Quest entered Tracy Arm and sailed up toward the Sawyer and South Sawyer Glaciers. There was a little ‘liquid sunshine,’ aka rain, and fluffy wafting clouds, which is typical Southeast Alaska weather. The fjord has tall, sheer cliff faces and lots of waterfalls that we observed today. We all hopped into our Zodiacs, and the naturalists provided interpretation in front of the Sawyer Glacier. The harbor seals seemed quite curious about our presence. We observed a few minor calving events and lots of bergy bits floating around in the inlet. After the Zodiac tours, there were briefings in the lounge until we spotted a black bear. The ship maneuvered expertly, and we watched the bear eating from the intertidal zone for quite some time. Continuing down the fjord, we saw a variety of birdlife near Holkham Bay and Stephens Passage. We finished our evening by passing by the Five Finger Lighthouse as the sun was setting.
Southeast Alaska changed its usual rainy tune today and put on its Sunday best, with blue skies and blue ice all around us. After a spectacular morning meandering into Tracy Arm, we piled into Zodiacs to get a closer look at the towering cliffs, sculptured icebergs, and even a local bear fresh from hibernation, hiding high in the shrubbery and enjoying a springtime snack.
Our last day at sea began with several guests gathered prior to 5:00 a.m. to view our arrival to the breathtaking Tracy Arm Fjord. National Geographic Quest maneuvered slowly to allow for a calm viewing of the nearly sheer granite mountains on either side. The fjord provided amazing views for the entire journey. As we closed in on our destination, we launched Zodiacs, which traversed the floating ice to get us as close as possible to the calving walls. A surprise boat filled with crew dressed as Vikings caught up to us and offered spiked hot cocoa as we pushed forward. As we moved toward the passage to South Sawyer Glacier, it became clear that we would never be able to make it through the ice to approach the glacier. To our shock, the passage north of Sawyer Glacier was completely clear. We successfully navigated all the way to the quarter-mile safety distance. Sawyer welcomed us with a massive and unexpected calving upon our arrival, inspiring shouts of joy as fists were sent into the air. Upon the completion of lunch, a few brave guests and staff members decided to experience the chilly 43-degree waters up close with a polar plunge. They swam from boat to boat in the iceberg-infested waters to the cheers of fellow guests. The captain of National Geographic Quest , Tim Lyons, received confirmation that killer whales had entered the fjord. He dutifully tracked them to position our vessel so that we encountered the seven whales in transit before we continued our journey. We watched in awe as six adults and a baby traversed up the fjord. On the last evening of every voyage, our captain addresses the ship to tie a bow on the expedition. It had been a truly unbelievable journey. Unfortunately for the captain, a pod of Dall’s porpoises traveling alongside humpback whales appeared moments before he was meant to take the microphone. They delayed us for twenty minutes as they played around and rode the bow of our ship. Apparently, the captain wasn’t the only one who wanted to bid us farewell.
