John Muir preferred the scenery of Tracy Arm to that of Glacier Bay. We had the great pleasure of spending the final day of our expedition in Tracy Arm, enabling us to choose for ourselves. It seems silly to make such a choice – both of these fjords are stunningly spectacular, each with their own unique highlights.
With mist in the air and clouds hanging on the mountainsides, National Geographic Sea Bird navigated the narrow, winding fjord. Scores of unnamed waterfalls freefell and cascaded from thousands of feet above. Icebergs created an obstacle course as Captain Coughlin maneuvered our ship towards South Sawyer Glacier. An occasional harbor seal poked its head above the water.
In small groups, we bundled up and boarded our sturdy expedition landing craft to explore more closely. Thousands of icebergs, from ice cube size to ship size, drew our attention. White, clear, even deep blue, the colors as well as the shapes grabbed our attention. Nearby nesting arctic terns alit on the ice. Harbor seals, here to have their pups in the safety of the ice, were in the water and on the flat bergs. A few already had pups. We took close looks at waterfalls. Occasional crashes emanated from the glacier as ice cascaded into the water.
It was a memorable morning.
Heading down the fjord, we stopped for a close look at Hole in the Wall Waterfall. Nearby, a black bear worked the mussel and barnacle beds for some early season protein.
Williams Cove, near the mouth of Tracy Arm, was our last outing of this remarkable expedition. We explored by foot, kayak and expedition landing craft.
The evening was spent sharing stories of our extraordinary Alaska adventure.
