We don’t typically wake up at 12:30 a.m. but here in Alaska we make exceptions for Northern Lights. Sleepy but excited, we made our way to the bow of National Geographic Sea Lion and were rewarded with a mid-summer spectacle under the solace of the northern sky. Greens and reds lit the sky from the north as we stood and lay on the deck. We whispered thanks to the heavens as we tiptoed our way back to our beds for a few more hours of rest before dawn.
Weary but glowing, we re-started the day at sunrise as we crossed into Holkham Bay, the entrance to the majestic Tracy Arm-Fords Terror Wilderness. We chased the sun down Tracy Arm in the shadow of 1000-foot granite cliffs and wove our way through floating ice and green waters to within two miles of South Sawyer Glacier where launched the inflatables and set out to explore the ice under bluebird skies.
Within moments we were surrounded by bergy bits, large pieces of glacial ice floating in the saltwater of the bay. Harbor seals with pups glided through the glassy water, observing our movements with dark eyes. We cut the engines and floated under the wide Alaskan sky while discussions ranged from the physics of glaciers to the wilderness philosophy of John Muir. Suddenly, from the face of the towering glacier a massive wall of ice calved and plunged into the sea. The report echoed from the towering walls back to the cobalt glacier as a wave rolled through the floating ice. This was the reason we had come to this place and we were richly rewarded for our efforts.
After returning to Sea Lion we queued up on deck for the legendry Polar Plunge. Undaunted by 38-degree water, intrepid swimmers jumped and dove into the icy waters. Refreshed and beaming we climbed back aboard the ship and settled in to cruise back through Holkham Bay and onward to the broad expanse of the Stephens Passage. Supper with friends, stories, photos and even a few tunes on the fiddle rounded out our last evening aboard Sea Lion. With gratitude for an incredible week, we watched the sun touch the snow-capped horizon as humpbacks surfaced in the distance around us. Thank you, Southeast Alaska, for all of your gifts and blessings.
