Tracy Arm & Williams Cove, Alaska
Early in the morning, the National Geographic Sea Lion entered Tracy Arm by crossing the shallow terminal moraine that was produced long ago when the glacier was at its furthest extent. Later that morning, many of us were awoken to the sound of "growlers" - small icebergs scraping against the ship, indicating our proximity to a tidewater glacier. We were cruising up a narrow and spectacular fjord that averages only a mile in width along its entire 25-mile length. In the upper part of the fjord are two tidewater glaciers (Sawyer and South Sawyer Glaciers), which were joined as recently as 1880.
Soon after breakfast, Zodiacs were launched that allowed us to work our way carefully through the icebergs to view the face of South Sawyer Glacier, where we spent some time waiting for calving episodes and observing the numerous harbor seals that were hauled out on icebergs. The weather was downright comfortable with no rain and even some blue sky poking through the high clouds. We were able to get close enough to some of the icebergs to see harbor seal pups nursing from their mothers. As we approached to within a half mile of the 200-foot high face of this tidewater glacier, we were impressed by the deep crevasses and blue ice.
In this part of the fjord, one could hear the calls of the seal pups for their mothers, the cracking sounds of the glacier, and the calls of birds. Some of us were lucky enough to observe the glacier calving at this morning’s destination. In comparing pictures of the glacier taken just a few years ago, it was obvious that the glacier had retreated dramatically.
Once back on board, the National Geographic Sea Lion slowly maneuvered through the icebergs and began our journey out through the glacially-carved fjord. The clear blue color of many of the icebergs made them look like precious gemstones and some icebergs even appeared to have been sculpted at the hand of an expert ice-carver. Against the sheer, glacially-polished cliffs we had a chance to marvel at the classic signs of glaciation such as glacial striations, glacial polish, bowl-shaped cirques, U-shaped valleys, and hanging valleys.
After lunch, our shipboard geologist, Al Trujillo, gave an illustrated talk about glaciation and glacial features. Our videographer, Jeff Litton, followed with a TED presentation showing time-lapse photography of various glaciers around the world. Soon thereafter, we anchored in Williams Cove, which is an inlet near the entrance to Tracy Arm.
The afternoon activities in Williams Cove included a choice of a Zodiac cruise, kayaking, and hiking. For the cruisers and paddlers, the wide bay was the perfect destination for exploring the floating icebergs, and waterfalls and sea caves, which beckoned us to explore along the shore while curious seals monitored our activity. On land, those on the hikes were busy forging their own trails in the insect-laden forest. The explorations were really a taste of what Alaska is all about - discovering this vast wilderness for ourselves.
After recap and another superb meal, we began our cruise south and discovered several humpback whales feeding in Stephens Passage. Humpback whales surrounded our ship and alternated surfacing, showing their flukes, and diving. It was a superb ending to another fabulous day in this great land.
