Williams Cove and Tracy Arm
It was a non-stop day aboard the National Geographic Sea Lion, full of sunshine, ice, wildlife and activities. After departing Juneau at about midnight, we cruised southward and crossed the glacier-deposited terminal moraine and entered Tracy Arm fjord early this morning. Many birds were active on and over the water – marbled murrelets, Pacific loons, white-winged and surf scoters, and a bald eagle on an iceberg.
We set our anchor in Williams Cove and prepared for our morning activities, which included kayaking, Zodiac tours, and a walk in the Tongass National Forest. It was a great introductory outing and the weather cooperated splendidly!
After all the guests and gear returned to the vessel and the anchor was weighed, we proceeded up the narrow, twisting waterway, surrounded on all sides by stunning mountainous scenery with many snow-melt waterfalls. Out on the decks we scanned for wildlife along the way and were rewarded with a sighting of two black bears (Ursus americanus), one brown in color and one large and very black. They foraged in a meadow and tussled with each other playfully before disappearing behind some salmonberry bushes. In the spring and summer, adult bears will spend time together for courtship and mating purposes.
At last we reached Sawyer Island, where the fjord splits into two fingers, each leading to a receding tidewater glacier that tumbles from the mountains and has its terminus in the sea water. By Zodiac we made our way through icebergs toward the face of South Sawyer Glacier, taking care not to disturb the harbor seals that find refuge here to bear their pups. The newborns will nurse for just a few short weeks before they are weaned and on their own. Mountain goats were spotted up on precipitous cliffs, harbor porpoises glided stealthily through the murky water and Arctic terns were beginning their short nesting season on the bare gravel left behind by the glacier. We had photographic fun with reflections and myriad other subjects, limited only by our imaginations. And from time to time we heard from the glacier, when pieces of ice broke off its face and fell into the water with a big splash and a thunderous roar.
After dinner we visited (up close and personal) with Hole-in-the-wall Waterfall and to our surprise another black bear made a brief appearance on the smooth rock beside the falls. The bear was probably quite surprised to see us as well!
Reluctant to let go of this extraordinary day, many of the guests brought out their cameras once again to capture the luminous full moon in the bluish twilight. Today was a day that will not soon be forgotten.
