Naturalist Veronica had just wrapped up her talk on marine mammals when whales were spotted just ahead of the ship this afternoon. Several mother and calf pairs were spotted in the shallows along with individuals feeding in deeper waters. We were delighted to witness pectoral fin slapping and breaching as we watched and photographed these amazing creatures.
- Daily Expedition Reports
- 17 Aug 2024
Port Houghton and Fredrick Sound, Alaska, 8/17/2024, National Geographic Sea Bird
- Aboard the National Geographic Sea Bird
- Alaska
Kerri McAllister, Naturalist
Kerri is a passionate lifelong learner and educator who embraces the world as her classroom. She has worked extensively in international and environmental education around the globe. She is currently a professor at Unity Environmental University in M...
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Alaska Escape: LeConte Bay, Wrangell and Misty Fjords
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5/29/2025
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National Geographic Sea Bird
Endicott Arm
Dawes Glacier, located at the head of Endicott Arm in Southeast Alaska, is an active tidewater glacier in the remote Tracy Arm-Fords Terror Wilderness Area. Reaching the glacier requires a 30-mile journey through a narrow fjord lined with sheer rock walls rising over 3,000 feet. These cliffs are veined with waterfalls and often blanketed in mist. Throughout the fjord, remnants of the glacier float in the form of icebergs. The glacier feeds cold, silty meltwater into the fjord, giving the water a distinctive milky-green hue and supporting a rich marine food web. Harbor seals were hauled out on ice floes near the glacier. Gulls and Arctic terns were actively feeding, likely drawn by the small fish and plankton concentrated by the glacial outflow. The glacier calved several times, hurling large chunks of ice across the water’s surface, sending the birds fleeing. The sound of the ice hitting the water echoed off the steep rock walls that rise thousands of feet on either side.
5/27/2025
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National Geographic Sea Bird
Dawes Glacier in Endicott Arm
We could not have asked for a better way to end the expedition. Our last day was amazing! Visiting Dawes Glacier in Endicott Arm was a highlight with its crystal-blue ice and resting harbor seals floating by on the ice. In the evening, we even got to see a couple of humpback whales off the bow of the ship. We ended the day by watching images of the beautiful moments created on our expedition during the famed guest photo slideshow.