The final day of our Alaskan adventure took us through the glacially carved fjord of Tracy Arm. Surrounded by azure icebergs, we boarded Zodiacs to explore and found a host of harbor seals hauled out on the ice. The seals visit Tracy Arm every spring, sheltering from hungry orca whales and seeking out a quiet place to give birth to their pups. We spent the better part of the morning in their company while the South Sawyer glacier creaked, groaned, and calved at the head of the fjord.

After lunch, we meandered out of the fjord, scanning for wildlife and pausing for the always-memorable polar plunge. More than 20 guests and several crew members took part in the tradition, braving forty-degree water for the shock of a lifetime.

Our trip concludes tomorrow in the state capital of Juneau, a fitting end to a memorable week’s journey through the unspoiled beauty of Southeast Alaska.