We arose early while sailing in Stephens Passage, and to our delight in the distance we saw a humpback whale calf side-lunging repeatedly. It was determined that this calf was practicing behavior while its mother was feeding or searching for food. Off in the distance on the other side of the bow we saw a Dall’s porpoise zipping through the water creating rooster tails of splashing water. Suddenly a humpback whale surfaced near the ship but dove quickly when it realized how close it was to us; how exciting! As we turned into Holkham Bay we began to see “bergy bits” – large pieces of ice that had calved from Sawyer Glacier and floated down the fjord. Beautiful shapes of turquoise blue hues began to float by regularly. We explored the face of Sawyer Glacier while on the ship, and after lunch we launched Zodiacs to explore amidst the ice and up to the face of glacier. Harbor seals and pups popped their heads up in between the ice. The ice calved and swells sloshed against the sides of the fjord. After an exciting round of ice-watching, we sailed back down Tracy Arm into Holkham Bay and Stephens Passage to a golden setting sun.
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 .