As the sun rose on the third day of this expedition aboard National Geographic Sea Lion, we pulled into the harbor of the charming town of Haines, Alaska. Today’s itinerary let our guests “choose their own adventure,” with several different excursions as possible activities to choose from in both the morning and afternoon. Ranging from rafting in the receding tide in the Chilkat River to soaring through the clouds in a sight-seeing plane above Glacier National Park, we had a thrilling day of adventures that concluded with an appetizing dinner back onboard. We ended the night excited to continue our adventures tomorrow, exploring the untouched wilderness of the Inian Islands.
5/3/2025
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National Geographic Sea Lion
Tracy Arm-Fords Terror Wilderness Area
National Geographic Sea Lion cruised throughout the night, heading south through Lynn Canal and making her way towards Tracy Arm-Fords Terror Wilderness Area. Early in the morning, we were on approach to Holkham Bay, where we “crossed the bar,” which consists of glacial outwash at the entrance to an extensive fjord system. This wilderness area was established by Congress in 1980, and 653,179 acres of land fall under federal wilderness protection. This fjord system is made up of two arms approximately thirty miles in length. Our goal was Endicott Arm, where we would spend the entire day. During the last ice age, thousands of feet of ice covered this entire area. When the retreat of ice began, these fjords were carved by that ice. This allowed sea water to enter, offering excellent cruising for many ships. National Geographic Sea Lion spent the day cruising and dropping in many of our kayaks and Zodiacs, so all had a chance to paddle and/or cruise this picturesque waterway.
