National Geographic Sea Bird slowly traveled nearly 30 miles into the beautiful fjord of Endicott Arm. The morning skies had low wispy clouds draping the steep slopes of the glistening rock lining the U-shaped valleys of the Tracy Arm-Fords Terror Wilderness Area. Misty rain was intermittent, and the air was brisk with a little catabatic wind blowing from the tidewater Dawes Glacier. We loaded into Zodiacs in two rounds to get a closer look at the face of the glacier, waterfalls, and the numerous icebergs, bergy bits, and growlers that calved free from the glacier. Some even saw harbor seals and harbor porpoise as we explored the glacially silted waters.
For the afternoon, we cruised back through Endicott Arm into Holkham Bay and then continued north through Stephens Passage. We searched for wildlife from the bow, used water from melting glacial ice to paint with watercolors, and learned about photography using cell phone cameras. The day concluded with a stunning sunset glowing on glassy seas.
