It was a beautiful morning as we approached Williams Cove, our ship surrounded by mist and fog. The sky was blue and the sun was shining as we began our hiking and kayak adventures. It was the first day of kayaking on the voyage, and we were all excited to stretch our arms and explore the waters from a new vantage point. After a beautiful sunny morning, we made our way up Endicott Arm towards South Sawyer Glacier, our afternoon destination. Once we arrived the Zodiacs were launched and we cruised up towards the glacier, through ice and rain, until we arrived at the face of this massive icy spectacle. We were surrounded by seals and crackling ice, an amazing way to end this fantastic day in South East Alaska.
5/18/2024
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National Geographic Quest
Lake Eva and Chatham Strait
We enjoyed a beautiful morning exploring the Sitka spruce and hemlock trees dominating the forest along the Lake Eva trail on Chichagof Island; then in the later part of the day we cruised Chatham Strait. Stunning scenery abounded with the lush green understory of mosses, lichens, berry bushes, deer ferns, skunk cabbage, aspen, and Devil’s club, just to name a few. Under the dotted canopy of the trees, we identified signs of recent bear activity, red squirrel caches, and the flitting dance of birds through the understory. The screeches of a soaring bald eagle and the sounds of the songbirds echoed throughout the forest, as the flowing water of the salmon stream gurgled into the brackish lagoon leading to the sea. Our cruise through Chatham Strait had calm winds and seas; we enjoyed expansive views of snow-capped mountains, and intimate tree-lined coastlines with kelp wafting in the shallower waters. It was a great place for all to reflect on the many sights, sounds, smells, and experiences we’ve had over the past 13 days of this Treasures of the Inside Passage expedition from Seattle to Sitka.
