This morning our expedition ship brought us to an anchorage in a sheltered cove of the Inian Islands. These islands reside within Icy Strait, so named by explorer George Vancouver in 1794 for the massive amounts of glacial ice choking this passage during his voyage. Today the ice is gone, but the fjord is still an area of intensive oceanic and wildlife activity. Strong tidal changes create conditions ideal for Steller sea lions, bald eagles, sea otters, and gulls to capture prey. The clouds ebb and flow like the tides, sometimes bringing rain, sometimes bringing rays of sunshine.
5/3/2025
Read
National Geographic Sea Lion
Tracy Arm-Fords Terror Wilderness Area
National Geographic Sea Lion cruised throughout the night, heading south through Lynn Canal and making her way towards Tracy Arm-Fords Terror Wilderness Area. Early in the morning, we were on approach to Holkham Bay, where we “crossed the bar,” which consists of glacial outwash at the entrance to an extensive fjord system. This wilderness area was established by Congress in 1980, and 653,179 acres of land fall under federal wilderness protection. This fjord system is made up of two arms approximately thirty miles in length. Our goal was Endicott Arm, where we would spend the entire day. During the last ice age, thousands of feet of ice covered this entire area. When the retreat of ice began, these fjords were carved by that ice. This allowed sea water to enter, offering excellent cruising for many ships. National Geographic Sea Lion spent the day cruising and dropping in many of our kayaks and Zodiacs, so all had a chance to paddle and/or cruise this picturesque waterway.
