We bid a sad farewell to the northern passages, but look forward to a joyous welcome home as we cruise south along the eastern seaboard of Vancouver Island and head into the Salish Sea of Washington State. Merry travelers cruise along the same passage as we, waving and smiling as they sail by. We enter into US customs and the safe moorage of Friday Harbor well after noon, anticipating a leisurely landfall and stroll through the town. All we have seen and learned about our marine mammal friends who have accompanied us on many parts of our voyage are re-capped at the Whale Museum, where we contemplate our own impact on the marine highways and bi-ways that we have sojourned for the past two weeks.
6/14/2025
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National Geographic Quest
Southeast Alaska
On the last full day of our voyage, we woke in Endicott Arm near the Dawes Glacier. We spent the morning enjoying Zodiac tours to the face of Dawes Glacier and watched multiple calving events. We were also able to spot several harbor seals, waterfalls, and a couple harbor porpoises on the way. After lunch we had the opportunity to participate in a polar plunge. Forty people decided to brave the frigid water for a short swim. Those of us not eager to jump into glacier water were able to watch from the bow. After the polar plunge, we warmed up on board as we started transiting towards Juneau. On the way, we stopped at a beautiful waterfall to once again admire the amazing natural beauty of Alaska. During our farewell recap, we were treated to a quick visit by a humpback whale. We ended our day with a slideshow made up of our favorite photos and memories of an amazing week on board National Geographic Quest .