Holkham Bay
While its guests slept peacefully, dreaming of orcas and quartz, the intrepid Sea Bird made its way south down Stephen’s Passage. Mist and 100% humidity greeted us upon awakening, and scattered icebergs drifted passed us, foreshadowing the glaciers to come.
While all relaxed and enjoyed yet another sumptuous breakfast, our capable crew anchored us in Williams Cove near the entrance of Holkham Bay. Everyone disembarked to explore the tranquil waters and lush forests of the Cove. Kayakers were treated to a waterfall and hundreds of White-winged Scoters flitting about. Land voyagers encountered a mosaic of greens to soothe the eyes and soul. Feather, Haircap, Lanky, Sphagnum and Dicranium mosses mingled with ferns, lichens and berry bushes. Most exciting was an encounter with a Bird’s Nest fungi, replete with “eggs”. Not to mention the wolf scat, complete with the vertebrae and hair of what many suspect was an unfortunate porcupine. Geologically, all enjoyed the myriad of igneous and metamorphic rocks that adorned the beach, covering every color of the rainbow.
After lunch, we headed deep into Tracy Arm, the northern branch of Holkham Bay. Tumbled mountainsides of metamorphic rock gave way to stupendously sheer granite cliffs reaching thousands of feet into the sky. Clouds parted to reveal snow-capped mountains, and then mists descended to mystify slender tendrils of waterfalls and foliage. Finally, we reached our end destination – the tantalizing blue shades of the Sawyer glacier. All sat mesmerized for over an hour, anticipating the crash and thunder of calving icebergs. The glacial river of ice flowed forward an inch of its daily two foot movement. Then, a trickle of ice betrayed the birthing of an enormous iceberg that crashed free, sending water and ice spraying over a hundred feet into the air. The Sea Bird rolled in the many tsunamis spreading outward from the face, and seals basking on the shoreline were abruptly washed back into the sea. A momentous, touching, and moving experience for everyone.
After a visit to the South Sawyer glacier to observe seal-adorned icebergs, we retired to the dining room for our final supper. Guests, staff and crew reflected on the past week and savored the memories, friendships and understanding gained in one another’s company.
While its guests slept peacefully, dreaming of orcas and quartz, the intrepid Sea Bird made its way south down Stephen’s Passage. Mist and 100% humidity greeted us upon awakening, and scattered icebergs drifted passed us, foreshadowing the glaciers to come.
While all relaxed and enjoyed yet another sumptuous breakfast, our capable crew anchored us in Williams Cove near the entrance of Holkham Bay. Everyone disembarked to explore the tranquil waters and lush forests of the Cove. Kayakers were treated to a waterfall and hundreds of White-winged Scoters flitting about. Land voyagers encountered a mosaic of greens to soothe the eyes and soul. Feather, Haircap, Lanky, Sphagnum and Dicranium mosses mingled with ferns, lichens and berry bushes. Most exciting was an encounter with a Bird’s Nest fungi, replete with “eggs”. Not to mention the wolf scat, complete with the vertebrae and hair of what many suspect was an unfortunate porcupine. Geologically, all enjoyed the myriad of igneous and metamorphic rocks that adorned the beach, covering every color of the rainbow.
After lunch, we headed deep into Tracy Arm, the northern branch of Holkham Bay. Tumbled mountainsides of metamorphic rock gave way to stupendously sheer granite cliffs reaching thousands of feet into the sky. Clouds parted to reveal snow-capped mountains, and then mists descended to mystify slender tendrils of waterfalls and foliage. Finally, we reached our end destination – the tantalizing blue shades of the Sawyer glacier. All sat mesmerized for over an hour, anticipating the crash and thunder of calving icebergs. The glacial river of ice flowed forward an inch of its daily two foot movement. Then, a trickle of ice betrayed the birthing of an enormous iceberg that crashed free, sending water and ice spraying over a hundred feet into the air. The Sea Bird rolled in the many tsunamis spreading outward from the face, and seals basking on the shoreline were abruptly washed back into the sea. A momentous, touching, and moving experience for everyone.
After a visit to the South Sawyer glacier to observe seal-adorned icebergs, we retired to the dining room for our final supper. Guests, staff and crew reflected on the past week and savored the memories, friendships and understanding gained in one another’s company.
