The morning sun found the guests of National Geographic Venture twenty or so miles into the main channel of Glacier Bay National Park. After a stop at Bartlett Cove to pick up our guest speaker, Park Ranger Michael, we were already nearing our first wildlife hotspot: South Marble Island. There we found hundreds of sea lions, dozens of puffins, mother otters with their babies, and a variety of other seabirds. Our next stop was Gloomy Knob, where we saw a record five bears and no less than thirty mountain goats, while humpback whales breeched on the far side of the ship. On the other side of Russell Cut, we had drinks in front of Margerie Glacier. As we pulled away she gave an epic calving, to the applause of all upon the sundeck. We ended our day taking photos of Lamplugh Glacier before slowly making our way out of the park. An unforgettable day.
6/14/2025
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National Geographic Quest
Southeast Alaska
On the last full day of our voyage, we woke in Endicott Arm near the Dawes Glacier. We spent the morning enjoying Zodiac tours to the face of Dawes Glacier and watched multiple calving events. We were also able to spot several harbor seals, waterfalls, and a couple harbor porpoises on the way. After lunch we had the opportunity to participate in a polar plunge. Forty people decided to brave the frigid water for a short swim. Those of us not eager to jump into glacier water were able to watch from the bow. After the polar plunge, we warmed up on board as we started transiting towards Juneau. On the way, we stopped at a beautiful waterfall to once again admire the amazing natural beauty of Alaska. During our farewell recap, we were treated to a quick visit by a humpback whale. We ended our day with a slideshow made up of our favorite photos and memories of an amazing week on board National Geographic Quest .