Today is glacier day! We left Glacier Bay as the sun set last night and headed to Tracy Arm and South Sawyer Glacier. Along the way, naturalists on the bow spotted mountain goats – two sets of mom and kit pairs! We got out the spotting scope so guests could enjoy a close-up view. It is so special to see these animals scale the steep cliff sides. Next, the bridge team drew the nose of our ship extraordinarily close to two neighboring cascades of water gushing down rock faces. Since we are in a fjord system, the waters are very deep right up to the face of the rocks, which means the ship can get very close! After lunch, the deck team lowered the Zodiacs, and off we went – to the glacier! We explored icebergs and dramatic rock formations along the route to the face of South Sawyer Glacier. There is something awe-inspiring about being in the presence of glaciers – they are life changing. What a stunning day in Southeast Alaska. Tomorrow, we arrive in Petersburg!
5/5/2025
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National Geographic Sea Bird
Haida Gwaii – Daajing Giids
We awoke to a blanket of calm in the air. A thin fog, blueish light, placid water, and the sights of sleepy boats in the harbor were the archetypical backdrop for the beauty of Haida Gwaii. Our expedition took us off National Geographic Sea Bird to the Haida Heritage Center. Here we had the privilege to be guided through the museum to get a closer look at the art, livelihood, totem poles, and the beauty of the Haida way of life. What we witnessed gave us a small taste of the wonder the Haida have maintained for generations. The afternoon took us deeper into the island, to the rainforests in the interior. Our forest walks took us to the Spirit Lakes where we witnessed the splendor and deep biodiversity among old growth western red cedar and Sitka spruce. Today was both for land and sea, with our undersea team scuba diving at a nearby island and naturalists showing guests the invertebrate life up close that we had been sharing space with on the dock. As the day comes to close, I write from open waters as we make our way south to the island of SG̱ang Gwaay.
