Today was a day of great anticipation for many of our guests. We visited yet another magnificent glacier, but this time we approached via a Zodiac boat. We are visiting South Sawyer Glacier, one of the most stunning in Southeast Alaska. We spent the morning exploring the ice field, gazing at breathtaking blue ice artworks — otherwise known as icebergs. Those glacier blues had everyone in awe. Experiencing the face of any glacier is beyond words. Arctic terns flew here and there, harbor seals speckled the ice field, and we found a small group of mountain goats scaling the fjord walls. As we slowly made our way back out of the fjord, we spotted a few black bears along the shoreline. To top the day off some brave guests took a “polar plunge” in the iceberg-chilled fjord waters. A perfect end to a perfect voyage.
5/13/2025
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National Geographic Venture
Basket Bay
A day of Zodiac cruising in Basket Bay on Chichagof Island brought wild beauty and unforgettable encounters. As the morning mist thinned, we traced the rugged shoreline beneath towering forested cliffs, where ochre sea stars clung to rocks and dense clusters of blue mussels covered the intertidal zone like armor. Bald eagles circled overhead, and a river otter slipped along the kelp-strewn shore. Not long into our cruise, a humpback whale surfaced nearby, vanishing as suddenly as it appeared. Then, the real show began. A pod of five orcas emerged from the north, cutting through the water with smooth, deliberate power. Their tall dorsal fins knifed the surface in silence as we viewed them from a respectful distance, the pod weaving in and out of view among the swells. Onshore, waterfalls thundered from the cliffs, swollen with rain, sending spray across the rocks. The air smelled of salt and cedar. We lingered near one cascade, engines low, taking in the raw energy of water meeting sea. By the time we turned back toward the anchorage, the sky had turned dark and williwaws descended upon us. We were all smiles as memories of our special orca encounter shone brightly.
