Port Althorp and Cruising Icy Strait, 6/18/2022, National Geographic Quest
Aboard the
National Geographic Quest
Alaska
This morning we woke to a true Southeast Alaskan day with grey overcast skies and drizzle. We anchored in Port Althorp where some guests began their day by kayaking and stand-up paddleboarding within the glacially carved fjord.
With low tide going out, it exposed the abundant intertidal zone. Guests explored the marsh area where an old logging raft now lay in ruin in the muck. Perennial bear tracks were observed, and we learned that they are tracks the bears use year after year, marking their path by scent glands found in their hind feet to tell other bears that this area is theirs. We followed the tracks until they disappeared into the forest.
We stopped to smell the chocolate lily, which has a very strong scent to attract flies for pollination. We also learned about their rice roots, which are edible and fibrous. Some guests enjoyed Zodiac cruises up the bay and observed leather sea stars, lion’s mane jellies, and sea otters.
Later in the evening, we were lucky to come across five Dall’s porpoises that rode the ship’s bow for over twenty minutes! It was an exceptional day in Port Althorp and cruising Icy Strait.
Rachel grew up in West Haven Connecticut on Long Island Sound and has always loved being outside in nature, swimming, camping, and beach combing. Rachel received her B.S. in Biology from Eastern Connecticut State University and after graduation worke...
The bridge team of National Geographic Venture anchored the vessel in a bay protected from the winds and waves of the open ocean. The waters near the Inian Islands are known for heavy currents and extreme waves. The Inian Islands are located in the heart of Cross Sound, one of two entryways for the waters of the Pacific Ocean. Two tides coming in and out each day cause an enormous volume of water to pass through this area, which in turn brings cold, nutrient-rich water up towards the surface. These nutrients stimulate growth and lay the foundation for a robust food web. All sorts of animals come to this location to enjoy the spoils – including killer whales. Our guests were invited aboard Zodiacs this morning to explore the diverse, wild habitats. Fox Creek proved incredibly enjoyable as an afternoon activity. We spent time hiking through a beach meadow with grasses as tall as an adult human. This area was full of bear trails that led each group to a different spot: beach meadow, intertidal, forest floor, streambed, and even to a waterfall. We bushwhacked through the bear trails and found many interesting sights, including perennial bear tracks. These tracks persist year after year as bears make their way to the intertidal zones from their wintering dens. A truly magnificent journey led each of us to a special place just for us. Somewhere we could enjoy true wild Alaska. We are thankful for this day.
The sun barely sets right now in Southeast Alaska, and quite a few people were on the bow of National Geographic Quest before 6:00 a.m. It is often said, the vigilant on the bow are rewarded, and before breakfast this morning, we saw a brown bear, a couple Sitka black tail deer, Dall’s porpoises, and humpback whales. After breakfast, we had several briefings, but we were interrupted by a group of humpback whales near the shore. In the afternoon, everyone had the opportunity to set foot in the Tongass National Rainforest for the first time. Guests went kayaking, and a few enjoyed a beach walk. It was a pretty amazing first day for our expedition.
Today we woke to a beautiful, sunny day with gorgeous views of the snow-capped mountains flanking Tarr Inlet in Glacier Bay National Park. While enjoying a hot cup of coffee on the bow of National Geographic Quest , several Alaskan brown bears soon appeared off the portside by the rocky shoreline, including a mother bear with two cubs, as well as two huge male brown bears. At one point, the mother bear started running along the shoreline with her cubs for quite a distance, probably to keep the cubs safe from the large male bears. We enjoyed incredible views of brown bear behavior for over 30 minutes. Then, moving on to the end of Tarr Inlet, the Captain positioned the bow of National Geographic Quest facing Margerie Glacier, a tidewater glacier that calves into Tarr Inlet. We quietly listened to distant cracks and booms coming from inside the glacier as it slowly creeps towards its terminus, and a few blocks of ice calved off the left side of the terminus into the inlet. We had the privilege of having a Native Huna Tlingit woman come aboard to explain their culture, lifestyle, and spiritual connections to the land. It was a magical and emotional moment to quietly watch the morning unfold with Margerie Glacier spread across the bow of our vessel, while we listened to the soft beat of her hand-made drum and her songs to the earth, as she danced in her native robe with guests. Off the starboard side to the north, we saw morainal debris from the Grand Pacific and Ferris Glaciers at the end of Tarr Inlet, with glacial ice glistening in the distance. It was hard to leave the bears, ice, and spiritual inspiration of the northwest end of Tarr Inlet behind, but we eventually headed southward to the entrance of Johns Hopkins Inlet and the tidewater terminus of the spectacular Lamplugh Glacier where everyone enjoyed a delicious lunch and more incredible views of the power of glaciers. Following lunch, the ship continued southward down Glacier Bay past Queen Inlet to the Marble Islands and eventually Bartlett Cove, headquarters of Glacier Bay National Park (where the southern extent of the ice reached when George Vancouver sailed into Icy Strait in 1780). Along the way, we enjoyed a spectacular sunny afternoon with sightings of mountain goats, sea otters, sea lions, whale spouts, lots of tufted puffins, and two large black bears slowly ambling along the shoreline. The ship’s Captain once again positioned the ship so guests could view the bears and take photographs. We finished the day with cocktails, recaps of the day’s adventures, and short hikes at Bartlett Cove prior to another delicious dinner aboard ship. This was a day that everyone will remember forever!
