After running all night around the northern tip of Admiralty Island and down Stephens Passage, we “crossed the bar” at Holcomb Bay at 5 a.m. in order to reach our destination at the South Sawyer Glacier in Tracy Arm-Ford’s Terror Wilderness Area in Southeast Alaska. “The Bar” is a term for the terminal moraine where the bottom of Stephens Passage rises from the depths to around 40 feet and indicates where the Sawyer and South Sawyer Glaciers once formed a magnificent face of ice. We cruised throughout the morning, stopping briefly at the place where the face of Sawyer Glacier now resides, and then moved closer to the South Sawyer Glacier where we disembarked on our expedition landing craft to view waterfalls, icebergs, harbor seals, and glacial calving.
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.
