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.
6/14/2025
Read
National Geographic Quest
Southeast Alaska
On the last full day of our voyage, we woke in Endicott Arm near the Dawes Glacier. We spent the morning enjoying Zodiac tours to the face of Dawes Glacier and watched multiple calving events. We were also able to spot several harbor seals, waterfalls, and a couple harbor porpoises on the way. After lunch we had the opportunity to participate in a polar plunge. Forty people decided to brave the frigid water for a short swim. Those of us not eager to jump into glacier water were able to watch from the bow. After the polar plunge, we warmed up on board as we started transiting towards Juneau. On the way, we stopped at a beautiful waterfall to once again admire the amazing natural beauty of Alaska. During our farewell recap, we were treated to a quick visit by a humpback whale. We ended our day with a slideshow made up of our favorite photos and memories of an amazing week on board National Geographic Quest .
