Our day started much earlier than normal with a 1:00 a.m. wakeup call for the northern lights. Many of us donned jackets and hats and walked out on deck to see the incredible dancing green lights in the sky. Our second wakeup call came later in the morning and welcomed us to the Inian Islands, a small collection of islands at the western edge of the northern entrance to the Inside Passage of Southeast Alaska. We anchored in the protected waters of an area known as the Hobbit Hole and took off in our Zodiacs to explore the very active waters of the northern islands during an incoming tide. Steller sea lions, sea otters, and bald eagles were found in abundance today as the early morning sun filtered through the fog, making for quite a magical experience. Back on National Geographic Sea Bird, we spent the afternoon exploring the waters of Icy Strait and looking for humpback whales. We were incredibly fortunate to spend time with a large group of whales near Point Adolphus. Harbor porpoises moved in and out of the waters and we even got to watch a humpback whale calf play with a Steller sea lion – each splashing the other and swimming in circles. After parting ways with the whales, we started making our way north into Lynn Canal for our transit to Haines. We’re in awe of all the wonderful wildlife we saw today and can’t wait for tomorrow!
5/5/2025
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National Geographic Sea Lion
Tracy Arm-Fords Terror Wilderness
Throughout the night, National Geographic Sea Lion cruised south in Chatham Strait. Heading further south into Stephens Passage, we approached Holkham Bay and the entrance to Tracy Arm-Fords Terror Wilderness, 653,179 acres of land which received the highest level of protection from Congress in 1980. Most of our day would be spent exploring the deep fjords which make up the heart of the Tracy Arm-Fords Terror Wilderness. Zodiacs were dropped and our group was divided in half, each group taking an hour and a half traveling up the fjord to the face of Dawes Glacier. White thunder sounded from the face of the glacier, birds circled, and harbor porpoises showed their dorsal fins. Due to heavy rain, waterfalls of many sizes were everywhere. Once Zodiac rides returned to the ship, our floating home began a cruise back down Endicott Arm heading for Holkham Bay and the entrance back to Stephens Passage. A very silly brown bear, humpback whales, Steller sea lions, and more porpoises were observed throughout the afternoon and early evening. It was an amazing first day, and Southeast Alaska was enjoyed by all, with so much more to come!
