Wrangell, Southeast Alaska, 6/15/2024, National Geographic Sea Lion
Aboard the
National Geographic Sea Lion
Alaska
Hey hey hey…. it’s Wrangell Day! National Geographic Sea Lion spent the day in Wrangell, Alaska, enjoying a plethora of activities. Jet boat tours were quite popular, as were hikes, petroglyphs, and visits to Chief Shakes Clan House. We also got to visit the weekly market in town today for a taste of local flavor.
An educator at heart, Dan finds great joy in helping others explore and connect with the world around them. He has taught marine sciences in the Florida Keys and on Catalina Island, science and math in international schools in Mexico, Costa Rica, and ...
This morning, National Geographic Sea Lion anchored at Cascade Creek, a stunning destination for hikes in the temperate rainforest of Southeast Alaska. From the smallest of lichens and mosses to the tallest western hemlock trees and Sitka spruces, our guests learned from our naturalists as they hiked along Cascade Creek. In the afternoon, we explored Scenery Cove on Zodiacs, getting familiar with the rocky coast. In the evening, we spent time looking for marine mammals from the bow of the ship. It was another amazing day in Southeast Alaska.
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.
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.
