The final day of our glorious expedition to Southeast Alaska culminated in Sitkoh Bay on Chichagof Island. A long, narrow bay on the west side of Chatham Straight, Sitkoh is the capstone of our journey together, complete with beautiful scenery and natural, geologic, ancient, and modern human history. On long walks, we took in the magical meadow at the mouth of the river that feeds into the bay, and moderate walkers explored the forest. A secret activity for only the Global Explorers (those 18 and under) took place in the morning, wherein they were permitted (under close supervision) to learn to drive an Expedition Landing Craft, or Zodiac. Thrills were enjoyed by all. In the afternoon, we explored Chatham Strait and caught sight of two male killer whales moving together in what could have been a hunting/fishing party. During the evening, we navigated through the narrow and scenic Peril Straight and Sergius Narrows on our way to Sitka.
6/14/2025
Read
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 .
