It feels as though our entire journey north has been leading up to us witnessing a glacier in all her glory. We’ve been learning to notice the signs of glaciers as we admire the stunning wilderness in the fjords we transit. We went up Tracy Arm today in hopes of seeing an active tidewater glacier. As we made our way farther and farther into the fjord, it became apparent that National Geographic Quest was completely surrounded. There was ice everywhere and of every size. Some pieces were small enough for a cocktail, and others were as large as skyscrapers. We embraced the ice and spent our morning cruising around the beautiful sculptures. Many intrepid explorers made a landing on the beach and even got a taste of some of the ancient ice. It seems the glacier was intent on giving us only a tease at her might, so we will rally north to Glacier Bay National Park in search of a closer look at a tidewater glacier tomorrow. Oh…and some very brave souls took the opportunity to polar plunge in the fjord!
- Daily Expedition Reports
- 17 May 2023
Tracy Arm, Alaska , 5/17/2023, National Geographic Quest
- Aboard the National Geographic Quest
- Alaska
Rachel Crane, Undersea Specialist
Rachel is a Marine Ecologist, Master Scuba Instructor, and USCG 100-ton licensed Captain. She grew up homeschooled on an alpaca farm in Upstate NY, where her passion for the outdoors was initially cultivated. After attending a marine science summer c...
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