First thing in the morning, there is fog, which wipes the slate clean in readiness for impressions. The sun’s brightness burns through the fog for our first sight of blue sky and verdant green. We are surrounded by soaring mountains. There is ice on the horizon. Swirling waters at the terminal moraine hint at a change in scenery. Soon we are in the world of a glacial fjord. Vertical walls of rock and rounded crests. A black bear browsing an intertidal smorgasbord. Harbor seals, a mother and pup, in repose. Sounds of the glacier calving, an iceberg is born.
5/23/2022
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National Geographic Quest
Tracy Arm-Fords Terror Wilderness and Sawyer Glacier
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.
