National Geographic Sea Lion departed the dock in Juneau and cruised south in Stephens Passage. We turned eastward and entered the narrow channel that led us safely across the shallow terminal moraine – The “Tracy Arm Bar” as we call it, and into Holcomb Bay. We continued to Williams Cove and dropped the anchor.
In the lounge after breakfast the photo and natural history staff introduced themselves and Larry continued with briefings about loading our inflatable craft (DIBs), hiking in bear country, and kayaking. Then it was time to put this information into practice. Some guests chose to go ashore for an introduction to the plants and ecology of the Tongass National Forest. Many species of fungi are evident at this time of year. A few bright colors punctuated the various shades of green. Other people explored the shoreline by DIB or kayak, where bald eagles, harbor seals, white-winged scoters, harbor porpoises, a Steller’s jay, some small warblers, a merlin, and the barnacles, mussels and seaweeds of the intertidal zone were of interest. On land and sea there were many photographic opportunities.
Back on board Sharon kicked off the photo expedition program with an introductory presentation. There was time for group sessions and one-on-one before lunch. The photo team can encourage and inspire at any level, from beginner to expert, with DSLRs, point-and-shoots, and even iPhones.
From Williams Cove we traveled up Tracy Arm fjord, a scenic, narrow, deep and twisty waterway that was carved by a glacier and subsequently filled with seawater. South Sawyer Glacier sits at the head of the channel, tumbling from the Stikine Icefield down to and below sea level. We passed Sawyer Island and Sea Lion paused to lower our inflatable boats and we set out towards the face of the glacier with our cameras in hand. The great mass of ice glowed with incredible hues of blue. It was a spectacular afternoon! Not only was the glacier active as large chunks of ice broke off and crashed into the water, producing icebergs, but there was wildlife to be seen as well. Harbor seals rested on icebergs, not even flinching in the chaos of the glacial calvings. This spring’s pups are now completely weaned and on their own. As a surprise and a treat, we were delighted by three mountain goats that scampered down the hillside almost to sea level! Patches of sunlight graced the dramatic landscape around us – colorful glacier-scoured rock walls that rise a few thousand feet straight up from the water.
In the lounge after dinner, National Geographic photographer Michael Melford gave a short presentation about the power of light, preparing us for further photo opportunities. It was a fitting end to a very enlightening day.
