The crew of National Geographic Venture navigated the waterways of Tracy Arm Wilderness Area early in the morning. Our vessel followed in the footsteps of the glacier that carved out this fjord, twisting and turning as we meandered through the narrow channel. Mountain goats and waterfalls met our eyes as the sun shined brightly above. Harbor seal mothers and their pups glanced curiously at us as we approached South Sawyer Glacier. We saw several calving events and even watched a few chunks of ice shoot towards the surface from the glacier’s glacial tongue. Laughter and fun were heard throughout the valley as we enjoyed ourselves amongst the ice. Evidence of glaciation literally hung in the air around us on this beautiful day.
7/21/2024
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National Geographic Venture
Chichagof Island and the Inian Islands
We left Sitka last night under a low ceiling of clouds. At daybreak, the sun briefly punched through the clouds, illuminating the snowy peaks and calm waters of western Chichagof Island. The ship cruised into the lustrous scene and anchored in Lisianski Inlet. We dispersed to various beaches for different hikes, to experience the wilderness and introduce ourselves to the temperate rainforest and the Tongass National Forest. The tide was low, and many of the groups were able to admire sea stars and intertidal life in the landing zones. Following brunch, we made our way north to the Inian Islands. However, wind and fog prevented us from safely dropping Zodiacs for tours there. Our expedition leader pivoted, and we set course for a known humpback whale feeding area called Port Adolphus. Along the way, we were sidetracked by a small group of orcas! We pivoted again and tailed the whales at a respectful distance. After about an hour, we set course for the humpbacks, and we were rewarded with active groups of feeding, pectoral slapping, and occasionally breaching whales. The whale action didn’t end there — after dinner, we stopped for bubble-net feeding whales!