National Geographic Venture moved through still black water as the cool air of the night warmed with the rising sun. The quiet intimacy of Tracy Arm Fjord enveloped us. Polished rock walls stretched to the sky. Dazzling blue and white icebergs gave an otherworldliness to the scene. Hats, extra jackets, and gloves were added to today’s attire. Zodiacs soared across the inlet towards the source of the ice, the South Sawyer Glacier.
Our morning was spent in the magical presence of a moving river of ice. It cracked and popped, sending our heads twirling around in hopes of seeing the glacier drop its spires of ice to the sea. Harbor seals slept on ice floes on one side of the inlet while some of their numbers swam by, poking their heads out of the water to get a closer look at us.
Our trip has been filled with wonder. We have seen the Alaskan wilderness come alive in response to the arrival of salmon. We wandered through the majestic trees of the Tongass National Forest and kayaked over the abundant life in the intertidal zones. We will dream of these sights while the humpback whales will forever swim in the pools of our memories.
