After traveling north overnight through Lynn Canal, we dropped anchor at 6:30 a.m. outside the town of Haines. Large rays of sunlight slipped through the clouds above and a brisk wind picked up on the water as we began shuttles to shore for the morning’s activities. Our day in Haines was a choose-your-own-adventure day, so guests went a variety of separate ways — some off to climb local peak Mount Riley, others off to the Klukwan Village for a cultural tour and river float, and some off to the Chilkat River to fly fish or bike ride along the road. In the afternoon, more hikes and bikes and fishing filled our hours, including excellent sightings along the Chilkat of local brown bear Lulu and her two cubs fishing for salmon. We had time to explore the charming town of Haines, which has a population of just under 2,000 residents. Some popular town stops included local distillery Port Chilkoot, the Hammer Museum, and the Haines Brewing Company to try the local spruce tip ale. Back on board National Geographic Sea Bird, we gathered in the lounge and swapped stories from our day, grateful that the rain held off and we enjoyed such varied and wonderful adventures.
9/5/2024
Read
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.