The final day of our voyage was dedicated to Tracy Arm-Fords Terror Wilderness Area, a remote and rugged spot south of Juneau with the highest level of federal ecosystem protection. Local glaciers have advanced and retreated numerous times within this fjord network since the last Ice Age, carving the distinctive round-topped peaks, U-shaped valleys, and resulting vegetation patterns. Our destination, South Sawyer glacier, flows out of the Stikine Icecap and features a jumbled, crevasse-filled face reaching several hundred feet above sea level. Following four days of stunning, sunny weather, late-afternoon rain and fog introduced an important part of the character of southeast Alaska. Without this precipitation, the ecosystems, wildlife, and landscapes we have come to know would cease to exist. We concluded our day—and our expedition together—with a preview of the voyage chronicle as well as a post-dinner slideshow highlighting the week’s discoveries.
9/10/2024
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National Geographic Sea Lion
Pavlof Harbor
The day started with an exciting encounter. Before breakfast we observed a group of bubble-netting humpback whales. It was incredible to see them lunge and hear them breathing at the surface. This was coupled by a glorious pink sunrise. After breakfast we took Zodiac cruises searching for bears near Pavlof Harbor. Even though we did not find any (wildlife is always delightfully unexpected), the scenery was beautiful, and we watched many adorable harbor seals. After thinking the excitement of the day was done, we spotted a large group of whales from a distance. While approaching closer, we realized this group was also bubble-net feeding. Close to the shore, we observed these whales for hours. We even dropped the hydrophone to hear their haunting feeding call before they all lunged at the surface. It was one of the most incredible things any of us had ever witnessed. As if this wasn’t enough, at our sunset recap we got the call that there were killer whales around the ship. It was the most amazing ending to the most amazing day.