The border between Northern British Columbia and the southern tip of Alaska’s panhandle is not one that can be seen by the naked eye. The temperate rainforests know no lines of demarcation and hold no loyalty. Sitka spruce and western hemlock are not citizens of the world, but merely hosts to the mosses and thrushes that call their deeply shadowed canopies home. Nonetheless, National Geographic Quest crossed the border into Alaska early this morning and made her way towards Misty Fjords National Monument.

The deeply channeled fjords and inlets leave guests in awe as they travel by Zodiac under the looming granite walls. The waters of Misty Fjord offer a chance to see humpback whales, orca, salmon, and loons. The steep slopes hold space for black bears and coastal mountain goats. After exploring the area, guests return to National Geographic Quest to cruise through Behm Canal to make way towards Petersburg for a full day of activity tomorrow.