Sunlight! Beautiful, bright sunlight (AGAIN!) that made us squint greeted us this morning onboard National Geographic Sea Lion as we cruised up Endicott Arm, which is a glacially carved fjord cut into the mainland of Southeast Alaska. The clear blue colored icebergs looked like precious gemstones, and some even appeared to have been sculpted by hand.
When we reached the upper part of the fjord, we launched the Zodiacs and visited the fjord’s upper reaches and the face of Dawes Glacier. We approached Dawes Glacier within one-quarter mile of its 250-foot-high face. We marveled at the classic signs of glaciation: glacial striations, bowl-shaped cirques, U-shaped valleys, rounded domes, and hanging valleys complete with waterfalls. Meanwhile, harbor seals on ice floes and in the water curiously watched our every move.
Later, some of us boldly jumped into the fjord’s chilly waters during the polar plunge. In the evening, there was cocktail hour, recap, and dinner as we cruised north through Stephens Passage towards our disembarkation port of Juneau. It was an exceptional voyage, and after dinner, there were many emotions as the light slowly dimmed and we bid Alaska farewell, at least for now.
