Today started much earlier than we expected. Just after midnight, our expedition leader made an announcement about a very special occurrence, which he promised was worth getting out of beds and making the sleepy journey out to the bow to see...
Green and blue ribbons of the aurora borealis shone over the dark silhouettes of nearby mountains, while a yellow moon shimmered over the water behind us. After fiddling with our camera settings and soaking in this magical scene for some time, we slowly dispersed back to our beds to catch some rest before our final day of adventure.
A few short hours later we awoke to the tranquil waters of Punch Bowl Bay, surrounded by steep, glacially-carved valley walls. As the sun started to rise over the nearby mountain ridges and peaks, we raised the anchor and continued further up the fjord.
After breakfast we loaded into expedition landing craft and raced ahead of the National Geographic Sea Bird so we could get an up-close look at the many inlets of Rudyerd Bay and watch the ship pass through the narrow cliffs of Owl Pass.
We gathered back on board for lunch and to soak up some rays on the sun deck. We ventured back out to Behm Canal and wound our way north into Walker Cove. The dramatic scenery of Misty Fjords National Monument continued to take our breath away throughout the afternoon while the hot sun beat down. We made the most of the warm weather by launching our kayaks and paddle boards. The thrill-seekers amongst us even dared to jump straight into the cold Alaskan waters.
We wrapped up our evening with the captain’s farewell dinner and a slideshow of all our favorite images from the past ten days. What a fantastic finale to an amazing expedition, reflecting on all the adventures we shared and the friendships we made along the way.
A final haiku:
Ten amazing days
Memories for a lifetime
Alaska magic.
