Chatham Strait and Thomas Bay, 5/23/2024, National Geographic Quest
Aboard the
National Geographic Quest
Alaska
Sailing through the essential Southeast Alaskan weather of light rain and low clouds, nestled in the forested mountains we made our way south to Thomas Bay for our afternoon excursions. We arrived at Cascade Creek in Thomas where we hiked along the waterfall in the beautiful forest. We also explored by water, kayaking and Zodiac cruising around the small islets in the bay. What a wonderful day of exploring!
Amy was raised near Cape Cod in coastal Marion, Massachusetts, and her relationship with the ocean and nature has always been an active one. Her parents, avid divers and marine biologists, introduced her to the underwater world when she was very youn...
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Blue ice broke free and shot above the surface while the face of the glacier let go of another chunk of ice, sending it thundering down the face with a big splash into the sea below. The arctic terns and black-legged kittiwakes responded, excitedly flying towards the disruption in the water hoping for fish. The harbor seal mothers with their pups barely lifted their heads from their icy floating platforms as they bobbed along in the tidal currents. When the ice was quieter, the cries of 1-month-old harbor seal pups could be heard as they called out for their mothers. This was what we watched and heard as we took Zodiac tours of South Sawyer Glacier in the morning. In the afternoon we travelled to another part of the Tracy Arm Fjord to Sawyer Glacier. This is part of Ford’s Terror Wilderness, and we spent the afternoon kayaking past waterfalls and towards the face of this beautiful glacier. It was such a special day of unique experiences here in Southeast Alaska.
On our third day of Exploring Alaska’s Coastal Wilderness , we awoke as our ship docked at Bartlet Cove in Glacier Bay National Park. Many guests chose to start the day with a lovely forest walk, including a look at Snow, the humpback whale skeleton displayed near the visitors center. Once back onboard, the ship moved north through the bay, ultimately taking us to see Margerie Glacier in Tarr Inlet. Here we watched harbor seals float on bergy bits that had calved off the glacier, and as we pulled away, we witnessed a large calving that had us all in awe. As we cruised south, we saw mountain goats on Gloomy Knob and scanned the shoreline for wildlife. We stopped at South Marble Island to watch puffins, gulls, and cormorants, as well as many large hauled out Steller sea lions. When it came time for dinner, the Global Explorers gathered in the forward lounge for a pizza party and a movie. The adult guests joined after their meals to watch Meaning of Wild .
We had an incredible day exploring the remote islands in Alaska’s Inside Passage. The morning started with hikes at George Island and a smartphone photography class. The tools were put to use immediately as we spent the afternoon on Zodiacs in search of wildlife. We were treated to displays from sea otters, sea lions, eagles, and even humpback whales. It was an incredible start to our week in Southeast Alaska.
