Sadly, our trip is coming to an end on National Geographic Sea Lion, but we were able to stop at a quaint Alaskan town called Wrangell before heading to Ketchikan. Arriving the day before the Fourth of July meant there were a bunch of activities in town. The morning started off with the chance to see beautiful scenery, and most of the staff and guests went on a jet boat tour. The wildlife did not disappoint, as we got the chance to see a bald eagle’s nest, harbor seals, and black bears! In the afternoon, guests milled around town, checking out local shops in the small town during the holiday weekend. The fun didn’t stop there. As we cruised after dinner, breaching orcas were spotted from the bow! It was an incredible sight, and a moment that I’m sure no one will soon forget.
- Daily Expedition Reports
- 03 Jul 2023
Wrangell, Alaska, 7/3/2023, National Geographic Sea Lion
- Aboard the National Geographic Sea Lion
- Alaska
Emily Mall, Naturalist
Emily proudly grew up in the state of Michigan, doing whatever she could to experience and get to know our natural world. She carries a degree in zoology and public policy and worked in an agroecology lab throughout her time in school. Discovering th...
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.