This morning, we were welcomed with true Alaskan weather as we docked in the small Alaskan town of Wrangell located near the mouth of the famous Stikine River. Fortunately, the weather did not prevent us from taking a trip on a jet boat up the fast-moving river to explore the wild interior. After lunch, we headed into town for a very personal and intimate presentation at the Tlingit longhouse of Chief Shakes. It was Sunday, so the town was pretty quiet. The rain took notice and decided to take a rest as well, which was fine with us. We made our way outside to check out Petroglyph Beach and summit Mount Dewy, the imposing hill overlooking the town of Wrangell with inspired views of the surrounding beauty. Looking back, it is hard to believe that we did all this in one day!
- Daily Expedition Reports
- 28 May 2023
Wrangell, Alaska, 5/28/2023, National Geographic Sea Lion
- Aboard the National Geographic Sea Lion
- Alaska
Ross Weinberg, Videographer
Born in Hollywood with a camera in his hand, Ross is a documentary filmmaker and photographer who is inspired by a good-organic-wholesome-LA-vegan cause and strives to raise awareness wherever he can through his pictures and films. While majoring in ...
Read MoreShare Report
Alaska Escape: LeConte Bay, Wrangell and Misty Fjords
VIEW ITINERARYRelated Reports
5/20/2025
Read
National Geographic Sea Bird
Cascade Creek/Ruth Island Petersburg, Alaska
The misty Alaska landscape was no stranger to us this morning as we woke to anchor in Thomas Bay. Our expedition today took us on tours around more of the Tongass National Forests’ splendor. We embarked on trails to see the falls of Cascade Creek, which were immensely powerful, casting misty spray across the forest of Western hemlock and Sitka spruce. Everything in the forest was incredibly dense, with life in all areas of the over and understory. In the afternoon, we explored Ruth Island, this time bushwacking along a tributary to make our way up to a beaver-dammed pond. The sight was fantastical, set among the forest with reed grass, toads, passerines, and even dense clumps of sundew. Guests adventured with large smiles on their faces as we felt the presence of wild Alaska.
5/19/2025
Read
National Geographic Sea Bird
Endicott Arm and Dawes Glacier, Southeast Alaska
Alaska can be soft green moss in the mist, slow, peaceful, and still. It can also be thunder, shrapnel, and sudden violence. At the head of the fjord, and the terminus of the Dawes Glacier, we watched as seracs came crashing down into the water, sending shards of ice hundreds of meters away. Gulls and terns danced along the surface, picking off small forage fish churned up in the chaos and outflow. Tidewater glaciers in Southeast Alaska are a surprising collection of life. As these ice rivers travel down toward the sea, they deliver a cold, sediment-rich pulse of nutrients, like iron and silica, that fuel phytoplankton blooms. These blooms form the base of the food chain and attract zooplankton and crustaceans, which in turn attract small fish, birds, and seals. The nutrient pulses from these glaciers fuel not only the abundance of life found within the fjords but also flow out to sea and support the entire marine ecosystem of Southeast Alaska. The calvings we see as spectacular displays of mother nature are far more complex and important to the overall ecosystem, perhaps making it more beautiful and breathtaking in the understanding.