Our day started out with a bang, with an amazing Fourth of July fireworks show on the Juneau waterfront. Those of us who stayed up until midnight were rewarded with a spectacular display of lights over the water. After leaving Juneau, the National Geographic Sea Lion set out for Holkham Bay where we spent our morning searching for wildlife. In the early morning, just after sunrise, we spotted a pod of humpback whales and spent a good amount of time watching them and enjoying their company. The lighting was incredible, and it was the perfect opportunity for photographers to capture amazing images. Once we moved on from the humpbacks, we cruised towards our afternoon destination of Endicott Arm and continued the search for wildlife.
As we approached the fjord, we spotted bears on two separate occasions. The first, a brown bear, was walking around in the grasses just above the shoreline and was hard to get a good look at. The second bear, however, was walking around the tidal flats in search of food and provided an excellent viewing opportunity for guests on the bow. The wildlife spottings this morning alone were incredible!
After lunch we arrived at Dawes Glacier at the end of Endicott Arm and we lowered the expedition landing craft for some ice cruising. The glacier was very active today, and calved on many occasions. Witnessing the force of a hundred foot block of ice crashing down into the water is an unforgettable sight, not to mention the sound that follows is equally as remarkable. A deep thundering roar echoes throughout the fjord every time ice hits the water, and we were very fortunate to witness calving on several occasions. We’ve had an incredible first day here in Southeast Alaska, a great sign for our exciting week to come!
