Today, our expedition took us to the stunningly charming town of Haines, where our guests embarked on an array of exciting activities that truly enriched our appreciation of Southeast Alaska. The options were plentiful, and our guests eagerly immersed themselves in the natural wonders and local community experiences that Haines had to offer. Our adventures included a captivating river rafting excursion down the magnificent Chilkat River, bike rides along the coastal forest, mountain hikes, fly fishing in local rivers running with salmon, and exploration of the town itself. Through all activities, guests were treated to exciting and memorable wildlife and wilderness memories to surely last a while.
Today’s activities were finalized with our evening’s cocktail hour aboard National Graphic Sea Bird, accompanied by our daily recaps from our naturalist team, delicious appetizers, and hand-crafted drinks and cocktails from our bar. Following our social hour is another fan favorite of the trip: crab night! Dungeons crab filled the dining tables for guests to enjoy a plentiful harvest of a local favorite, thanks to some incredible preparation from our crew on board.
Overall, the activities chosen by our guests in Haines truly added a tremendous amount of value to our expedition through Southeast Alaska. The river rafting, bike rides, mountain hikes, fishing, and community exploration all contributed to a holistic and immersive experience. Tomorrow, we eagerly await the adventures that await us as we explore the enchanting Inian Islands, where we hope to encounter even more captivating landscapes and wildlife that Alaska has to offer.
9/5/2024
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National Geographic Sea Lion
Tracy Arm-Fords Terror Wilderness
It was hard to beat the final day of this voyage. On a misty morning in Tracy Arm Fjord, we were met with beautiful green waters and cascading falls down gorgeous mountain faces. We made our way up the winding fjord looking for wildlife and enjoyed the incredible scenery. In the morning, we headed out on Zodiac tours, viewing gorgeous turquoise icebergs and watching the face of South Sawyer Glacier. While appreciating harbor seals in the area, we learned about the natural history of the landscape and wildlife. We were lucky enough to even see the glacier calve. A splash and hearing the thunderous sound of the ice separating from the glacier face was extremely exciting! After a wonderful Zodiac trip, we cruised on the ship towards South Sawyer Glacier for our polar plunge. The ocean water is cold in Alaska, and even chillier when next to a glacier! However, we had some brave guests that wanted to take their plunge into the Alaskan waters. It was a wonderful experience cheering each other on and seeing others dive into the water. After the plunge, we visited a beautiful waterfall called “hole in the wall”. Guests were able to get close, getting covered in the mist of the waterfall. It was definitely a highlight of the trip. Overall, it was an exceptional day.