Endicott Arm & Williams Cove
Blue ice and scenic mountains greeted us this morning as we cruised up Endicott Arm to the Dawes Glacier. Numerous bergy bits bobbing in the water indicated that the glacier had been actively calving. One iceberg suddenly had a ‘shooter’ of ice emerge as we were watching and admiring the intense blue glacial ice. The soaring granite walls of the fjord were festooned with waterfalls of runoff from the recent rain. A few miles from the glacial front the ice became too thick for the National Geographic Sea Bird to navigate, so we launched the Zodiacs to get a closer look. Zig-zagging through innumerable bergs, we finally got close to the massive ice front and were greeting a very large calving that boomed into the water and created a mini-tsunami that rolled and heaved the ice around us. We expected the seals resting on the ice to panic, but they just hunkered down and nonchalantly rode out the passing waves.
In the late afternoon we arrived at Williams Cove near the mouth of Tracy Arm. This was to be our last opportunity for kayaking and what a beautiful setting to do it. The silver skies of Southeast Alaska hung low enveloping the rain forest in mist. Blue bergs floated all around the bay. An exquisite waterfall was one of the many scenic destinations to which we could easily paddle. A Zodiac driving lesson was the feature attraction for our younger voyagers. The Boatswain ran them through a series of maneuvers that were required to achieve a "Lindblad Zodiac drivers license" that was awarded at recap in the evening.
Our day culminated with the Captain’s farewell dinner where we reflected on the remarkable voyage the we have experienced for the past week. As we all return home we will share a cherished memory of the rainforest, wildlife and even rocks in Southeast Alaska.
Blue ice and scenic mountains greeted us this morning as we cruised up Endicott Arm to the Dawes Glacier. Numerous bergy bits bobbing in the water indicated that the glacier had been actively calving. One iceberg suddenly had a ‘shooter’ of ice emerge as we were watching and admiring the intense blue glacial ice. The soaring granite walls of the fjord were festooned with waterfalls of runoff from the recent rain. A few miles from the glacial front the ice became too thick for the National Geographic Sea Bird to navigate, so we launched the Zodiacs to get a closer look. Zig-zagging through innumerable bergs, we finally got close to the massive ice front and were greeting a very large calving that boomed into the water and created a mini-tsunami that rolled and heaved the ice around us. We expected the seals resting on the ice to panic, but they just hunkered down and nonchalantly rode out the passing waves.
In the late afternoon we arrived at Williams Cove near the mouth of Tracy Arm. This was to be our last opportunity for kayaking and what a beautiful setting to do it. The silver skies of Southeast Alaska hung low enveloping the rain forest in mist. Blue bergs floated all around the bay. An exquisite waterfall was one of the many scenic destinations to which we could easily paddle. A Zodiac driving lesson was the feature attraction for our younger voyagers. The Boatswain ran them through a series of maneuvers that were required to achieve a "Lindblad Zodiac drivers license" that was awarded at recap in the evening.
Our day culminated with the Captain’s farewell dinner where we reflected on the remarkable voyage the we have experienced for the past week. As we all return home we will share a cherished memory of the rainforest, wildlife and even rocks in Southeast Alaska.
