The day got off to an amazing start after we arrived in the quaint fishing town of Wrangell, Alaska. There was a plethora of adventures to choose from in the morning, including jet boat tours up the Stikine River, a Tlingit cultural experience at Chief Shake’s longhouse, and even a bear viewing experience at Anan Wildlife Observatory. Throughout the day, we got to see all kinds of animals, from Sitka black-tailed deer to bald eagles to both black bears and brown bears. In the afternoon, we continued exploring Wrangell by hiking up Mt. Dewey, biking to Rainbow Falls, and exploring the local shops in town. Some of us even got to try wild blueberries, huckleberries, and thimbleberries as we walked around town and up Mt. Dewey. The crescendo of the day was when Chief Mate Eamon spotted some humpback whales traveling north through Snow Passage during a gorgeous Alaskan sunset. We cannot wait for the new adventures that tomorrow will bring!
- Daily Expedition Reports
- 27 Jul 2023
Wrangell, 7/27/2023, National Geographic Sea Lion
- Aboard the National Geographic Sea Lion
- Alaska
Alex Farrell, Naturalist
For Alex Farrell, wild places have always been the ultimate teacher. From alpine ridgelines to coastal waters, she has built her life around studying, experiencing, and respecting the power of the natural world — and sharing that passion with others....
Read MoreShare Report
Alaska Escape: LeConte Bay, Wrangell and Misty Fjords
VIEW ITINERARYRelated Reports
5/29/2025
Read
National Geographic Sea Bird
Endicott Arm
Dawes Glacier, located at the head of Endicott Arm in Southeast Alaska, is an active tidewater glacier in the remote Tracy Arm-Fords Terror Wilderness Area. Reaching the glacier requires a 30-mile journey through a narrow fjord lined with sheer rock walls rising over 3,000 feet. These cliffs are veined with waterfalls and often blanketed in mist. Throughout the fjord, remnants of the glacier float in the form of icebergs. The glacier feeds cold, silty meltwater into the fjord, giving the water a distinctive milky-green hue and supporting a rich marine food web. Harbor seals were hauled out on ice floes near the glacier. Gulls and Arctic terns were actively feeding, likely drawn by the small fish and plankton concentrated by the glacial outflow. The glacier calved several times, hurling large chunks of ice across the water’s surface, sending the birds fleeing. The sound of the ice hitting the water echoed off the steep rock walls that rise thousands of feet on either side.
5/27/2025
Read
National Geographic Sea Bird
Dawes Glacier in Endicott Arm
We could not have asked for a better way to end the expedition. Our last day was amazing! Visiting Dawes Glacier in Endicott Arm was a highlight with its crystal-blue ice and resting harbor seals floating by on the ice. In the evening, we even got to see a couple of humpback whales off the bow of the ship. We ended the day by watching images of the beautiful moments created on our expedition during the famed guest photo slideshow.