Days on board National Geographic Sea Bird are busy. Staff, crew, and officers work for most of their waking hours and guests aim to maximize their time on holiday. When my head hits the pillow each night, there is little energy left for tossing and turning. I imagine most everyone on the boat feels the same way. But amidst the business are moments of blissful stillness. The most fulfilling part of my work is delivering people to these moments in the Alaskan wilderness. Many of those moments occurred today. I sat in a kayak with a woman who had declared this to be her latest in a line of “grand adventures” – we paddled until our arms tired then stopped to breathe the fresh air and listen to the screech of ravens. At the face of the glacier with our engines turned off, we listened to the thunder of glacier calving – a strangely soothing sound. The perpetually busy Arctic terns took rest in these moments, preening on icebergs. There is no doubt that today was exhausting, but it is only after such grand adventures that we travelers can truly rest.
9/5/2024
Read
National Geographic Sea Lion
Tracy Arm-Fords Terror Wilderness
It was hard to beat the final day of this voyage. On a misty morning in Tracy Arm Fjord, we were met with beautiful green waters and cascading falls down gorgeous mountain faces. We made our way up the winding fjord looking for wildlife and enjoyed the incredible scenery. In the morning, we headed out on Zodiac tours, viewing gorgeous turquoise icebergs and watching the face of South Sawyer Glacier. While appreciating harbor seals in the area, we learned about the natural history of the landscape and wildlife. We were lucky enough to even see the glacier calve. A splash and hearing the thunderous sound of the ice separating from the glacier face was extremely exciting! After a wonderful Zodiac trip, we cruised on the ship towards South Sawyer Glacier for our polar plunge. The ocean water is cold in Alaska, and even chillier when next to a glacier! However, we had some brave guests that wanted to take their plunge into the Alaskan waters. It was a wonderful experience cheering each other on and seeing others dive into the water. After the plunge, we visited a beautiful waterfall called “hole in the wall”. Guests were able to get close, getting covered in the mist of the waterfall. It was definitely a highlight of the trip. Overall, it was an exceptional day.