We rise in the morning to our arrival in Holkam Bay, the entrance to Tracy Arm in the Tracy Arm/Fords Terror Wilderness Area. Our first sightings are two black bears foraging barnacles in the steeply sloping intertidal zone. We carry on through drifting blue icebergs and wend our way through turns and elbows until we reach the South Sawyer Glacier. After breakfast, we leave National Geographic Venture to board our Zodiacs for an exciting ride toward the glacier’s face, visiting a family of grazing mountain goats, raging waterfalls, and resting harbors seals. The calving of the glacier’s face is breathtaking, and after lunch we engage in a polar plunge in Williams Cove before making our way back to Stephens Passage in the evening hours.
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 .