Endicott Arm
The glacier at Endicott arm was in full form this morning as we took Zodiacs cruises in for a closer look. We were treated with a spectacular show of huge pieces of ice calving from the glacier face. Harbor seals were hauled out on the floating ice, including several quite close to the ship. Once everyone returned a few brave souls leapt into the icy waters for a polar plunge, as the rest of us shivered in delighted disbelief. What an exhilarating way to start the trip. Several wilderness rangers arrived by kayak and gave a presentation.
In the afternoon, we spotted many bald eagles perched on floating ice and in the trees along the coast. Several times, we encountered humpback whales in the distance including a mother and calf. In the early evening we enjoyed a sampling of northwest wines before commencing our first recap. The day was not over though. During dinner we found another group of humpback whales. They were seen breaching and eventually came right up to the ship. Curiosity seemed to be at play as they surfaced on one side of the ship and then the other over and over for close to an hour. We all stood on the bow in awe as the last light of the day faded into night.
