As I peered through a hallway porthole early this morning, I was greeted by a stunning little waterfall which met the ocean near Sawyer Glacier. This was the beginning of a day filled with long, ropy waterfalls snaking their way down the steep sides of Tracy Arm fjord, and beastly blue icebergs floating majestically along calm waters. Seals lounged lazily on passing bergy bits and barked to their peers, perhaps alerting them to our approach to the grandiose South Sawyer Glacier. A seemingly endless wall of deep crevasses and blue ice met our Zodiacs as we pulled in.
Our ship stopped next to a gushing waterfall and icy blue berg. Whispers traveled through the vessel. This was the moment we’d been waiting for — the polar plunge! Swimsuits on, life jackets strapped, Zodiacs boarded. A brave volunteer stepped forward without hesitation. Spectators cheered from the bow as we each took turns, our senses exploding as we broke the surface. Maybe it was the warmth of the sun on our bodies, now colder than the air, but the ride back to the ship, our home for the past week, felt much better. We could not think of a better last day.
