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.
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.
