At 6-years-old, Brooke knew she wanted to be an Expedition Photographer. So much so, she insisted her mother sign her up for drawing classes - just in case her camera broke in-the-field. Ever since, her love for storytelling has inspired her to pursu...
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Truth be told, the last day aboard any National Geographic/Lindblad ship feels incredible and is always special, but personally, I don’t think I have ever had a more magical last day aboard National Geographic Sea Lion . The early morning started off spectacularly, as a dozen killer whales were spotted cruising near our ship. A handful of juveniles would surface with their rostrums rising above the surface of the water. Seeing this many killer whales once would have been amazing on its own, but we managed to also see killer whales on the first day of the trip, creating a perfect bookend finish. After recap, our captain started sailing us to our anchorage for the night when at least a dozen blows were seen at a distance. Most assumed it was humpback whales, but as we neared, we realized we still hadn’t seen a dorsal fin, and the spouts seemed a little stouter than usual for humpbacks. It wasn’t until a whale surfaced close enough to the ship that we realized the white splotches and knuckles were that of a gray whale! We did not expect to see them in this cove, and it just added to the awe and wonder of our amazing expedition.
Today is Glacier Bay day! And what a day we had. We woke this morning to welcome our park ranger guests and off we set to explore the park. Our rangers are here as our hosts, teaching us about the park and her inhabitants. First stop was South Marble Island to look for puffins, as well as other wildlife. We found tufted-puffins, heaps actually. Next, we went to Gloomy Nob, and we hit the jackpot! Starting off with sea otters floating everywhere. Then we spotted mountain goats, a black bear, a couple of coastal brown bears napping, and a couple of wolves, one black and one grey. It was an insane two hours of sightings! Onward we traveled toward Marjorie Glacier, enjoying the awe-inspiring scenery. Once we arrived at the glacier face, a silence came over us all – to stand in the beauty of both the grand Pacific and Marjorie was something for which we all felt grateful.
Tracy Arm was the name on everyone’s tongue early this morning as the guests onboard National Geographic Sea Lion stirred from an easy night’s sail. But, as expeditions are known to do, plans evolved! Our bridge officers informed us shortly before breakfast that our destination had changed from the northern fjord to the southern fjord after reports of heavy ice in Tracy Arm – so Endicott it was! A beautifully overcast day with little rain presented itself to us as we found a glacial fjord mostly free of ice! Dawes Glacier and all her glory allowed us to get up close and personal in our Zodiacs. Popping, cracking, and thunderous splashing rang out periodically across the water. The high walls and sporadic forests painted Endicott Arm into a spectacular vista for all to enjoy – what a truly incredible day!