Today we cruised up Tracy Arm, a spectacular glacially-carved fjord in Southeast Alaska. The fjord averages about one mile wide, is 28 miles long, and measures about 1000 feet deep. Activities this morning included kayaking amongst the floating icebergs and Zodiac cruising to get closer to the face of the South Sawyer Glacier. Those on the Zodiac cruises noticed an abundance of harbor seals hauled out on many of the floating icebergs. After lunch, National Geographic Quest cruised out of the fjord in the strange water falling from the sky (WHAT IS THAT??). It was an exceptional week and after dinner there were many emotions as we bid Alaska farewell, at least for now.
5/13/2025
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National Geographic Venture
Basket Bay
A day of Zodiac cruising in Basket Bay on Chichagof Island brought wild beauty and unforgettable encounters. As the morning mist thinned, we traced the rugged shoreline beneath towering forested cliffs, where ochre sea stars clung to rocks and dense clusters of blue mussels covered the intertidal zone like armor. Bald eagles circled overhead, and a river otter slipped along the kelp-strewn shore. Not long into our cruise, a humpback whale surfaced nearby, vanishing as suddenly as it appeared. Then, the real show began. A pod of five orcas emerged from the north, cutting through the water with smooth, deliberate power. Their tall dorsal fins knifed the surface in silence as we viewed them from a respectful distance, the pod weaving in and out of view among the swells. Onshore, waterfalls thundered from the cliffs, swollen with rain, sending spray across the rocks. The air smelled of salt and cedar. We lingered near one cascade, engines low, taking in the raw energy of water meeting sea. By the time we turned back toward the anchorage, the sky had turned dark and williwaws descended upon us. We were all smiles as memories of our special orca encounter shone brightly.
