Endicott Arm, Fords Terror, 7/1/2017, National Geographic Sea Lion
Aboard the
National Geographic Sea Lion
Alaska
We awoke to flat seas, cloudy skies, and seasonable temperature, in the entrance to Endicott Arm. Among the guests, the anticipation of a day spent traversing Ford’s Terror, and the Dawes Glacier was palpable, even before it was announced that we would be hosting a polar-bear swim!
Jeff Campbell fell in love with the ocean while attending boatbuilding school in Eastport, Maine. Since completing his MS in Marine and Estuarine Science at Western Washington University, he has worked for NOAA documenting the ecological impacts of t...
We had an outstanding day in Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve. We woke up next to Margerie, a tidewater glacier that calved off a huge chuck of ice right before we headed into breakfast. We cruised to Gloomy Knob, stopping to watch mountain goats, before heading to South Marble Island. We were surprised when a group of three humpbacks popped up right between us and the island; we didn’t know whether to watch them, the flying puffins, or the noisy Steller sea lions.
We started the morning in Salt Chuck Bay under beautiful, partly sunny skies. We had perfect conditions for our first kayaking adventure. The sandy beach at low tide allowed kayakers an easy entrance into the serene and quiet world of paddling. While some guests paddled away, the rest of the group explored the intertidal zone and took a quick walk in the forest. The afternoon weather held, and we enjoyed one of the expedition team’s favorite activities: exploring the Inian Islands by Zodiac. Steller sea lions argued and growled on the rocks, birds flew overhead, and sea otters roiled in the currents. It all made for a perfect afternoon.
We were met today with ideal Alaskan weather: crisp, clear, and calm. We enjoyed perfect conditions for hiking through the forests and alluvial meadow of Ushk Bay. We split into groups depending on hiking desires and set off into the wilderness. We hiked on game trails through forests of western hemlock and Sitka spruce, crossed shallow streams, gazed at spring wildflowers, and investigated intertidal organisms. It was a lovely morning of stretching our legs and exploring the temperate rainforest. In the afternoon, we cruised along the gorgeous fjords of Peril Strait and Chatham Strait, where we searched for wildlife. We were delighted to find a humpback whale that was repeatedly diving and coming up to the surface to lunge feed. It was rolling and slapping its pectoral fins and putting on quite a display of behaviors that were a joy to watch. It was a wonderful first day of expeditions aboard National Geographic Quest .
