Today is glacier day! We left Glacier Bay as the sun set last night and headed to Tracy Arm and South Sawyer Glacier. Along the way, naturalists on the bow spotted mountain goats – two sets of mom and kit pairs! We got out the spotting scope so guests could enjoy a close-up view. It is so special to see these animals scale the steep cliff sides. Next, the bridge team drew the nose of our ship extraordinarily close to two neighboring cascades of water gushing down rock faces. Since we are in a fjord system, the waters are very deep right up to the face of the rocks, which means the ship can get very close! After lunch, the deck team lowered the Zodiacs, and off we went – to the glacier! We explored icebergs and dramatic rock formations along the route to the face of South Sawyer Glacier. There is something awe-inspiring about being in the presence of glaciers – they are life changing. What a stunning day in Southeast Alaska. Tomorrow, we arrive in Petersburg!
- Daily Expedition Reports
- 06 Sep 2023
South Sawyer Glacier, 9/6/2023, National Geographic Sea Lion
- Aboard the National Geographic Sea Lion
- Alaska
Kimberly Wood, Staff
Kimberly A. Wood is a Hawaii based international marine researcher, photographer, filmmaker, boat captain and educator. Her research focus is often based in population distribution, diversity and habitat usage of cetacean species, however, she has al...
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After a soggy day in Petersburg, we were thrilled to find our day in Tracy Arm flooded with sunshine instead of raindrops. Winding through the labyrinthine fjord is always an adventure this time of year, and we prepared for a veritable wall of frozen icebergs. But the fjord was surprisingly clear until the final bend, where a thick layer of pan ice stopped us in our tracks. Undeterred, we boarded our Zodiacs, crept below the steep cliffs, and prodded into the pan ice perimeter as far as we dared. Several mountain goats watched us from above, and a couple of curious harbor seals followed in our wake, patiently waiting for the pan ice to melt so they can wiggle onto the massive bergs and pup their young. A handful of humpbacks escorted us north through Stephens Passage, along with some blissfully calm water and more of that rare Alaskan sunshine. We have a long sail ahead of us this evening as we motor more than 160 miles toward mystical Glacier Bay.
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