We awoke at the terminal moraine bar in Holkham Bay at the entrance to Endicott Arm. A light haze hung in the air, creating varying blue layers of hills and mountains around the bay. Humpback whales surfaced and blew in several directions. Clouds above created soft light that brought out the blue in the “bergy bits” (smaller pieces of icebergs) that floated by. We entered a section of the bay where hundreds of surf scoters floated alongside Canada geese, and marbled murrlets bobbed in the calm reflective waters. Bald eagles sat atop ice floes, riding them out in the current and flying off to fish now and then. The bay was a hub of activity this morning! After breakfast, we continued our journey up Endicott Arm towards Dawes Glacier, inside Tracy Arm-Fords Terror Wilderness within the Tongass National Forest. Bits of incredible blue ice floated past us languidly in reflective waters. We stopped within view of the glacier and launched Zodiacs to explore the ice, waterfalls, and amazing geology of this fjord. All of us learned about the geology and natural history of the fjord, and several guests witnessed calving ice off the face of the glacier while others explored beautiful pieces of textured ice.
9/3/2022
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National Geographic Quest
Ushk Bay and Peril Strait
National Geographic Quest arose amidst light clouds within the protected waters of Ushk Bay. This area is known for a salmon stream and yields plenty of opportunity for kayaking and exploring the vast meadows of its inner waterways. On this day’s occasion, guests were able to hike and paddle their way along the coast of Ushk Bay and witness firsthand the life cycle of Pacific salmon making their way upstream. As we transited through Peril Strait, we were lucky to see humpback whales. These immense mammals were “lunge feeding” very near our ship. Being able to witness this event was unique for guests and staff. Lunge feeding is process through which individual whales push their gaping mouths through the surface and collect any fish or planktonic invertebrates in the process. Witnessing this behavior was truly a remarkable experience for all. We will cherish this moment for a lifetime.