Delightfully amazing would be an accurate description of our morning. We awoke in Endicott Arm of the Tracy Arm-Fords Terror Wilderness to sunny skies and a crisp fall bite to the morning air. The scenery of the fjord was stunning: Massive chunks of ice floating peacefully, harbor seals playing hide and seek among ’bergs, and an impressive calving of ice from the face of Dawes Glacier. We sighted a black bear on shore as we navigated out of the fjord in the later afternoon. The day closed with a sunset warming the clouds to a peachy glow. A perfect start for our adventures in Southeast Alaska!
5/7/2025
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National Geographic Sea Lion
Inian Islands, Port Althorp
The Inian Islands invoke sheer joy and excitement among the naturalists, which in turn, is transferred to the guests. We set out in Zodiacs, traversing in nearly unprecedented calm conditions through the narrow Mosquito Pass, then around North Inian Island. We observed over a dozen bald eagles and sea lions waiting for the inrushing tide to bring fish to the surface for easy pickings. We also saw a couple of male sea otters peacefully lying on the surface while fluffing up their fur to introduce air for insulation (they don’t have blubber). The weather was classic Alaska…sun grading to rain…then to partly cloudy. In the afternoon, we traveled to Port Althorp for kayaking and hikes. Again, very calm conditions with intermittent sun and rain. The hikes were beautiful, winding across the mud flats and into the thick rainforest painted with several shades of green. Bear trails were observed and used by us as convenient paths to follow. Kayakers slowly paddled across glassy water to enjoy the peace and solitude. The day ended with soft sun.
