South Sawyer Glacier in Tracy Arm-Fords Terror Wilderness rarely witnesses a beautiful and sunny day. The surrounding Tongass National Forest is called a temperate rainforest because of the reliability of precipitation. Today, however, was marked by radiant illumination. We toured the fjord by ship and took to small boats in the morning. We navigated amongst the ice and harbor seals towards the magnificent calving face of the South Sawyer Glacier. After lunch, the ship slowly cruised down-fjord to visit the legendary Hole-in-the-Wall Waterfall. We wound down the day with a final recap from the staff and a farewell dinner. We will all miss Alaska, and we are grateful for the experiences we shared here.
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 .