Today, National Geographic Venture entered Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve. When captain George Vancouver made charts of Southeast Alaska in 1795, nearly the entire bay was filled by the Grand Pacific Glacier. When famed naturalist John Muir came to Glacier Bay in 1879, the glacier had already retreated 45 miles up the bay. Today, we traveled 65 miles through the bay to reach the tidewater glaciers. This relatively rapid retreat has uncovered a rugged and beautiful landscape, and as the ice melted plants and animals returned to the bay. This is a land that has been reborn from under the ice.
6/14/2025
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National Geographic Quest
Southeast Alaska
On the last full day of our voyage, we woke in Endicott Arm near the Dawes Glacier. We spent the morning enjoying Zodiac tours to the face of Dawes Glacier and watched multiple calving events. We were also able to spot several harbor seals, waterfalls, and a couple harbor porpoises on the way. After lunch we had the opportunity to participate in a polar plunge. Forty people decided to brave the frigid water for a short swim. Those of us not eager to jump into glacier water were able to watch from the bow. After the polar plunge, we warmed up on board as we started transiting towards Juneau. On the way, we stopped at a beautiful waterfall to once again admire the amazing natural beauty of Alaska. During our farewell recap, we were treated to a quick visit by a humpback whale. We ended our day with a slideshow made up of our favorite photos and memories of an amazing week on board National Geographic Quest .
