This morning, we arrived to Gustavus, a small town at the entrance of the 3.3 million acres that make up Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve. We started with a pre-breakfast hike through the forest that surrounds the area. We then took off aboard National Geographic Venture to head up the fjords. Our destination today is Johns Hopkins Glacier. Roughly 65 miles from Gustavus, this entire fjord system was covered in ice just 350 years ago. We had a fantastic day spotting wildlife from the bow and observing the epic face of the tidewater glaciers.
- Daily Expedition Reports
- 31 Aug 2023
Glacier Bay National Park, 8/31/2023, National Geographic Venture
- Aboard the National Geographic Venture
- Alaska
Alex Joseph, Naturalist/Certified Photo Instructor
Born and raised in Alabama, Alex's connection to nature took shape as a child living in a state park and then in his formative years spent in Gulf Shores, AL. Where white sandy beaches meet the pine forest of the Southeast.
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We started our first full day on board by visiting the Dawes Glacier by Zodiac. As we floated among the growlers and bergy bits, we experienced multiple calving events. We observed many harbor seals with cute, brand-new pups relaxing on the ice. While cruising in the afternoon, we came across a few humpback whales. One humpback hung out close to the ship, lunge feeding and solo bubble netting. Another whale had some fun breaching in the distance, and a third showed off by tail slapping. We ended the day with a great view of Five Finger Lighthouse and look forward to our day in Petersburg tomorrow.
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Our final day here in Southeast Alaska was filled with steep fjords, awe-inspiring glaciers, fierce polar plungers, a number of humpbacks, and a beautiful sunset. As we spent the last day in Zodiacs, driving and adrift amongst the ice in front of Dawes Glacier, we were reminded of how tiny we are on this blue rock that abounds with natural beauty and ecological wonders. As the harbor seals swam by, we celebrated the journey with our shipmates, some partaking in a polar plunge. Then we turned off into the sunset surrounded by the sounds of humpback exhalations. Alaska has been a wonder, and we have been thoughtful visitors in a place fragile yet vast.