Days on board National Geographic Sea Bird are busy. Staff, crew, and officers work for most of their waking hours and guests aim to maximize their time on holiday. When my head hits the pillow each night, there is little energy left for tossing and turning. I imagine most everyone on the boat feels the same way. But amidst the business are moments of blissful stillness. The most fulfilling part of my work is delivering people to these moments in the Alaskan wilderness. Many of those moments occurred today. I sat in a kayak with a woman who had declared this to be her latest in a line of “grand adventures” – we paddled until our arms tired then stopped to breathe the fresh air and listen to the screech of ravens. At the face of the glacier with our engines turned off, we listened to the thunder of glacier calving – a strangely soothing sound. The perpetually busy Arctic terns took rest in these moments, preening on icebergs. There is no doubt that today was exhausting, but it is only after such grand adventures that we travelers can truly rest.
6/15/2025
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National Geographic Sea Lion
Endicott Arm
Today, we embarked on a voyage through the breathtaking Endicott Arm, a 30-mile fjord carved by ancient glaciers. As our vessel glided through the jade-green waters, towering granite cliffs rose on either side, with cascading waterfalls fed by melting snowfields. The fjord's serene beauty was punctuated by the occasional splash of harbor seals diving from ice bergs and the distant sight of mountain goats navigating the rugged terrain. Approaching the terminus of the fjord, the awe-inspiring Dawes Glacier came into view. Standing over 500 feet tall and half a mile wide, its icy facade shimmered in hues of blue and white. We boarded Zodiacs to get a closer look, maneuvering through a maze of icebergs, each uniquely sculpted by nature. Suddenly, a thunderous crack echoed as a massive chunk of ice calved from the glacier, crashing into the water below and sending ripples across the fjord—a humbling reminder of nature's power. The journey through Endicott Arm was more than a scenic cruise, it was an intimate encounter with the raw, dynamic forces that shape Alaska's wilderness. The memories of shimmering glaciers, playful seals, and towering cliffs will linger, a testament to the allure of this pristine frontier.