Today was an amazing day! We woke up to National Geographic Quest cruising into Tracy Arm fjord. Eager to get a glimpse of South Sawyer glacier, we all took in the sights on the bow of the ship. After breakfast, we rode Zodiacs as close as we could to the glacier. We saw arctic terns, mew gulls, marbled murrelets, harbor seals, and shooters (chunks of the glacier that break free from the bottom and shoot to the surface due to the buoyancy of the ice). Arctic terns complete the longest migration on Earth! They are amazing birds. The chilly boat ride was accompanied by hot chocolate. It was great! Then we received a great talk on photo composition by our certified photo instructor. As we were leaving Tracy Arm, we saw icebergs, waterfalls, U-shaped valleys, and North Sawyer Glacier from the ship. The Global Explorers had a chance to paint. After dinner, we enjoyed another talk, this one about kelp and its importance. What a great day!
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 .
