Every day of our voyage, we have reminded ourselves that the cloudless blue skies we’ve had are an exception to the rule. We’re sailing through the temperate rainforest, so cloudy, soggy days are the norm, after all. After five days of bluebird skies, the weather moved in with low clouds and a moderate drizzle. The low clouds added an element of mystery as we made our way to Endicott Arm. Serpentine mists wound through the hills and valleys, showing the dynamic elements at play.
For our morning activity, we set out in kayaks and small boats to explore what was around us. Ice from tidewater glaciers slowly meandered down the fjord, showing us elaborate sculptures that highlighted the beauty and variability of ice. Bald eagles and gulls hitched rides downstream on these icebergs as harbor seals curiously circled our boats. Rain and snowmelt complemented the innumerable raging waterfalls visible at every turn. The weather was welcome. We received a well-rounded experience of the Inside Passage on the last day of our voyage.
No trip to Alaska would be complete without a focus on glaciers and ice. In the afternoon, we wove between mountains of ice to crawl closer to their source, Dawes Glacier. The ice was thick and dazzling: more shades of blue than we knew were possible lay before us. We took to our expedition craft for our last outing to obtain intimate views of the epic landscape. Glaciers sculpted the landscape before us. Touring the ice and seeing its source was a fantastic way to tie our voyage together.
Once back onboard and warm again after a few brave individuals participated in a polar plunge, a final dinner and farewell awaited us. As our final activity, we watched a slideshow of images we captured throughout the trip, bringing back memories of all the incredible experiences we had this week. It was an amazing end to an amazing week. Alaska is never a disappointment.
