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.
- Daily Expedition Reports
- 08 Jul 2019
Endicott Arm and Dawes Glacier, 7/8/2019, National Geographic Venture
- Aboard the National Geographic Venture
- Alaska
Brenda Tharp, Naturalist/Certified Photo Instructor
For over 20 years, Brenda has used her photographs of the world to celebrate its beauty, and inspire others to protect what we have. Brenda grew up exploring the woods, lakes, and coastlines of New Jersey and New England and her family traveled regul...
Read MoreShare Report
Alaska's Inside Passage
VIEW ITINERARYRelated Reports
5/28/2025
Read
National Geographic Venture
Kelp Bay
Southeast Alaska’s rainforest was verdant in the morning rain. Small whitecaps textured the surface of the sea as we searched for marine life. Then, ahead in the distance, a big splash. Then another splash, followed by another. The bridge team expertly moved our ship closer. The young humpback whale had unlimited energy for throwing itself out of the water and flopping back in. We watched this youngster breach over and over until we needed to be on our way. Our next off-vessel excursion was on Baranof Island in Kelp Bay. Bushwhackers and moderate hikers passed along animal trails, climbing through Sitka spruces and western hemlocks. Giant bear’s bread fungus sprouted from downed trees. Delicate flowers, including Jeffrey Shooting Stars, decorated the path. We made our way to the boggy muskeg where few trees survive the wet environment. Streams of snowmelt and raindrops were occasionally blocked by the busy work of beavers. The forest was quiet and warm while hardy Zodiac cruisers toured the shoreline to view waterfalls and gulls hitching a ride on a floating log. Once back on board, we felt the warm comfort of the ship and came to realize that in just a few days, National Geographic Venture has come to feel like home.
5/27/2025
Read
National Geographic Quest
Glacier Bay National Park
A nice morning that only got better and prettier and sunnier! Truly a gift to bring guests here to witness the scale and diversity of ice and wildlife. South Marble Island had so many tufted puffins, and a few unexpected horned puffins, with sea lions and humpback whales galore. During lunch, we cruised up towards Margerie Glacier to view the impressive glacier and look for Arctic terns. Afterwards, we went past Gloomy Knob and saw mountain goats, looked for wildlife at Russel Cut (saw an osprey!), and ended the day with a stunning colorful sunset with an abundance of whales!