Today we visited a wilderness area called the Inian Islands, which were named in 1879 by W.H. Dall as part of a U.S. Coast Guard and Geological Survey. This is one of the few places where the Inside Passage opens to the Pacific Ocean. The tide creates a lot of upwelling, making it an easy place for wildlife to find food. We saw Steller sea lions, sea otters, bald eagles, and harbor seals on our morning Zodiac cruises. After lunch, we visited nearby George Island, the location of a World War II outpost and a large gun that was never fired. At George Island, we offered two sets of hikes and kayaking.
5/3/2025
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National Geographic Sea Lion
Tracy Arm-Fords Terror Wilderness Area
National Geographic Sea Lion cruised throughout the night, heading south through Lynn Canal and making her way towards Tracy Arm-Fords Terror Wilderness Area. Early in the morning, we were on approach to Holkham Bay, where we “crossed the bar,” which consists of glacial outwash at the entrance to an extensive fjord system. This wilderness area was established by Congress in 1980, and 653,179 acres of land fall under federal wilderness protection. This fjord system is made up of two arms approximately thirty miles in length. Our goal was Endicott Arm, where we would spend the entire day. During the last ice age, thousands of feet of ice covered this entire area. When the retreat of ice began, these fjords were carved by that ice. This allowed sea water to enter, offering excellent cruising for many ships. National Geographic Sea Lion spent the day cruising and dropping in many of our kayaks and Zodiacs, so all had a chance to paddle and/or cruise this picturesque waterway.
