We had a wonderful first day of our trip together. We woke up near the sandbar that marks the entrance to Tracy Arm. We spent the early morning on the bow, looking at seabirds and the incredible towering rock faces of the fjord. Upon sighting South Sawyer Glacier, we dropped our Zodiacs to explore this special place in Tracy Arm-Fords Terror National Wilderness. We were lucky from the beginning. We saw three mountain goats grazing on impossibly high vegetation on the rock walls around us. As we moved closer to the face of the glacier, harbor seals inquisitively popped their heads up from all sides of our Zodiacs. We even got the chance to see some pretty remarkable calving events. During and after lunch, we enjoyed the views from National Geographic Sea Bird as we cruised towards Williams Cove near the mouth of Tracy Arm. Here, we all went ashore to explore and get our first taste of the temperate rainforest of Southeast Alaska. It was a beautiful afternoon with clear views of the nearby mountains and with lots to discover in the forest – we even enjoyed some snacking on salmonberries, blueberries, and watermelon berries along the way. We were happy to be off to such a great start!
7/22/2024
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National Geographic Sea Lion
Sitka Sound
Early risers aboard National Geographic Sea Lion were treated to a stellar show of humpback whales this morning as we made our way south down the mountain-studded coast of Baranof Island. The long, lazy swell that lulled us to sleep overnight contrasted spectacularly with the fast breaches, tail slaps, and fluking displays that surrounded us as we rounded Cape Edgecumbe and entered Sitka Sound. Sea otters and fishing boats galore greeted us as we slipped into the calm waters of the sound, bound for Magoun Islands State Marine Park for an afternoon of Zodiac cruising and hiking. The hikers found ample evidence of recent bear presence in the form of fresh scat and tracks, but no bears were to be found. Most of us were quite relieved not to surprise a bear! The Zodiac cruisers were treated to gorgeous intertidal habitats littered with mussels, barnacles, sea stars, and clams. After warming up a bit at lunch, a record thirty-one brave souls jumped into the frigid waters for our polar plunge! As we arrived in Sitka this evening, we admired the snow-capped mountain tops normally shrouded in mist. Steller sea lions cavorting around the dock served as reminders of our adventures.