Today we awoke to clear skies, light winds, and pleasant temperatures in Holkham Bay as the National Geographic Venture headed toward the Tracy Arm and Ford’s Terror Wilderness Area. Many guests spent time on the bow, enjoying the scenery, taking pictures, and learning about the fascinating geology of the region. As we proceeded up the deep fjord, our naturalists explained the landforms, including the U-shaped valleys visible from the water level, which we learned had been carved by glaciers. The tall peaks that tower thousands of feet above had plenty of snow still, and many cascades flowed down the steep granite cliffs. After a delicious lunch, our hardworking deck crew lowered our expedition landing craft while the bridge officers navigated the vessel between large icebergs of white and blue ice. On small boats, we cruised up the fjord near the face of South Sawyer Glacier, where we observed many harbor seals hauled out on ice. After a warm farewell address from our Expedition Leader Shawn, we cruised down the fjord in excellent light.
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 .