Today, we woke up in front of Margerie Glacier, where we were treated to a small calving event. The incredible sound of “white thunder” broke the serene silence, and we watched a small tidal wave flip a few small pieces of ice. We moved to Russell Cut to get a peek at Johns Hopkins Glacier. Harbor seals were pupping. We kept our distance, so we didn’t disturb the mom/pup pairs. Continuing our wildlife outing, we stopped at Gloomy Knob, where we successfully looked for mountain goats. A few even had kids. Upon approach to South Marble Island, we spotted over 50 northern sea otters before we stopped at a hot spot for Steller sea lions and puffins. We ended our day by stretching our legs off the ship at Bartlett Cove, where we were treated to sightings of a spruce grouse with chicks and a sleeping porcupine sitting low in a tree. Today was a photographer’s dream.
- Daily Expedition Reports
- 21 Jun 2023
Exploring Alaska's Inside Passage, 6/21/2023, National Geographic Quest
- Aboard the National Geographic Quest
- Alaska
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Alaska's Inside Passage
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9/6/2024
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National Geographic Quest
Glacier Bay National Park
We awoke to a wall of ice towering outside of the ship. Sometime in the night we anchored alongside the monumental Johns Hopkins Glacier. Along the base of the glacier, hundreds of harbor seals lounged on the rafts of ice, and stunning mountain views accompanied the impressive natural feature for which the park was named. After eating breakfast with a glacial blue backdrop, we pulled anchor and began our exploration of the park in earnest. We visited several more glaciers, including prime examples of tidewater, hanging, and beached varieties; we also observed large numbers of sea otters and surf scoters. After lunch we turned our focus to wildlife and were rewarded with views of mountain goats on Gloomy Knob, as well as a brown bear excavating a comfortable resting spot on the beach. Later we were treated to a surprise concert by one of our guests (award winning musician Jim Peterick). We wrapped up the day with a visit to South Marble Island where dozens of tufted puffins and large rafts of Steller sea lions gave excellent views.
9/5/2024
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National Geographic Quest
Inian Islands and Salt Chuck Bay
Today we began our adventures by dropping anchor at one of our favorite locations in Southeast Alaska, the Inian Islands! We disembarked National Geographic Quest to hop into our Zodiacs to explore this wild archipelago. Later in the day we repositioned to an anchorage in Port Althorp, known as Salt Chuck Bay. We got the chance to explore by kayaking as well as hiking through the meadow in the bay and the lush rainforest. It was a fantastic day in Southeast Alaska!