Our first day of the trip was an impressive introduction to Alaska and had no problem living up to the trip’s name, Wild Escape. Many guests were still asleep when the expedition leader called them outside with her morning wake-up call to take in our first wildlife sighting, a humpback whale near the ship. After breakfast and some orientation briefings, we headed outside into the pristine and primordial looking landscape of Endicott Arm. At the head of this ice-strewn, 25-mile-long fjord is the Dawes Glacier, where we spent the majority of the day exploring its awe inspiring creation of 2,000-feet-high cliffs of granite and gneiss and the thousands of icebergs, bergie bits, and growlers left in its receding wake. We were treated to a presentation on phone photography by photo instructor Lauren Buchholz on the way out of the fjord and an after-dinner presentation on glaciology and the Ice Ages by yours truly.
6/15/2025
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National Geographic Sea Lion
Endicott Arm
Today, we embarked on a voyage through the breathtaking Endicott Arm, a 30-mile fjord carved by ancient glaciers. As our vessel glided through the jade-green waters, towering granite cliffs rose on either side, with cascading waterfalls fed by melting snowfields. The fjord's serene beauty was punctuated by the occasional splash of harbor seals diving from ice bergs and the distant sight of mountain goats navigating the rugged terrain. Approaching the terminus of the fjord, the awe-inspiring Dawes Glacier came into view. Standing over 500 feet tall and half a mile wide, its icy facade shimmered in hues of blue and white. We boarded Zodiacs to get a closer look, maneuvering through a maze of icebergs, each uniquely sculpted by nature. Suddenly, a thunderous crack echoed as a massive chunk of ice calved from the glacier, crashing into the water below and sending ripples across the fjord—a humbling reminder of nature's power. The journey through Endicott Arm was more than a scenic cruise, it was an intimate encounter with the raw, dynamic forces that shape Alaska's wilderness. The memories of shimmering glaciers, playful seals, and towering cliffs will linger, a testament to the allure of this pristine frontier.
