For the start of our trip through southeast Alaska’s wilderness, we began in the Tracy Arm- Ford’s Terror Wilderness area, exploring the Tongass National Rainforest and Sawyer Glacier. We lowered paddleboards, kayaks, and dibs into the water at William’s Cove while strapping on our muck boots and hitting the beach-that happened to have a grounded iceberg! Hikers tromped through the soft, soggy forest, heavy with fresh rainfall. An elusive harbor seal swam through the shallow waters keeping a watchful eye out. As we climbed back onboard the National Geographic Sea Bird, the Bridge officers spotted a brown bear strolling the very beach we had just left! Fog rolled in, cloaking William’s Cove in a rainy mist and we pulled away to venture deeper into Tracy Arm. The undersea team highlighted the importance of the abundant plankton in the bay, utilizing the plankton net and microscope onboard to show barnacle molts, copepods, and other plankters up close.
Once we reached Sawyer Island, it was back out into the rain and off to find some more adventure amidst the ice! Massive bergs beckoned us into the fjord where we could see the evidence of recent glacial succession. Faced with the tongue of Sawyer Glacier, we stared in awe at the river of ice before us, the thunder of calving echoing around us. Just as our fingers were starting to feel the bite of the icy cold, the cheery group of Vikings on board the Coco Boat warmed us up with a hot coco surprise! We cannot wait for the excitement that tomorrow will bring in Haines, the adventure capital of Alaska.
