On our final day cruising, the passengers (and expedition leader) of the National Geographic Sea Lion decided to go out with a splash! Cruising from Sitka to Juneau, we spent the day transiting the 30-mile long glacially carved fiord of Endicott Arm, one of three fiords in Tracy Arm and Ford’s Terror Wilderness area and just 50 miles south of Juneau. Designated part of the Tongass National Forest in the early 1900’s, it was not until 1980 that Jimmy Carter designated the approximately 650,000 acres of this wild, scenic and untouched area as wilderness.
- Daily Expedition Reports
- 03 Jun 2017
Endicott Arm and Dawes Glacier of Tracy Arm & Ford’s Terror Wilderness, 6/3/2017, National Geographic Sea Lion
- Aboard the National Geographic Sea Lion
- Alaska
Annie Fiske, Expedition Leader
Hailing from the Pacific Northwest and spending her first nights in a tent at the tender age of six weeks old, Annie grew up with a love for the outdoors and adventuring. Raised in Tacoma, Washington, she considers herself lucky to have grown up in a...
Read MoreEmily Newton, Undersea Specialist
Emily was raised in the mountains of Central Oregon, where she spent much of her time on the back of a horse. Her fascination with marine science began with family vacations to British Columbia, where she explored tidepools, captured sculpins, inspec...
Read MoreDavid Pickar, Videographer
David Pickar is a native of Portland, Oregon. He studied anthropology at the University of Oregon, then spent several years working as a field archaeologist. Participating in excavations in countries like Jordan, Belize and Italy and in every corner ...
Read MoreShare Report
Alaska's Inside Passage
VIEW ITINERARYRelated Reports
5/28/2025
Read
National Geographic Venture
Kelp Bay
Southeast Alaska’s rainforest was verdant in the morning rain. Small whitecaps textured the surface of the sea as we searched for marine life. Then, ahead in the distance, a big splash. Then another splash, followed by another. The bridge team expertly moved our ship closer. The young humpback whale had unlimited energy for throwing itself out of the water and flopping back in. We watched this youngster breach over and over until we needed to be on our way. Our next off-vessel excursion was on Baranof Island in Kelp Bay. Bushwhackers and moderate hikers passed along animal trails, climbing through Sitka spruces and western hemlocks. Giant bear’s bread fungus sprouted from downed trees. Delicate flowers, including Jeffrey Shooting Stars, decorated the path. We made our way to the boggy muskeg where few trees survive the wet environment. Streams of snowmelt and raindrops were occasionally blocked by the busy work of beavers. The forest was quiet and warm while hardy Zodiac cruisers toured the shoreline to view waterfalls and gulls hitching a ride on a floating log. Once back on board, we felt the warm comfort of the ship and came to realize that in just a few days, National Geographic Venture has come to feel like home.
5/27/2025
Read
National Geographic Quest
Glacier Bay National Park
A nice morning that only got better and prettier and sunnier! Truly a gift to bring guests here to witness the scale and diversity of ice and wildlife. South Marble Island had so many tufted puffins, and a few unexpected horned puffins, with sea lions and humpback whales galore. During lunch, we cruised up towards Margerie Glacier to view the impressive glacier and look for Arctic terns. Afterwards, we went past Gloomy Knob and saw mountain goats, looked for wildlife at Russel Cut (saw an osprey!), and ended the day with a stunning colorful sunset with an abundance of whales!