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Imagine a fjord with water the colour of jade. Littered with thousands of icebergs, the fjord is surrounded by mist-shrouded mountains and countless waterfalls tumbling down the forested slopes. Flocks of seagulls and bald eagles rest on the blue icebergs whilst seals frolic in the water. This is the enchanting Tracy Arm fjord (map) in southeastern Alaska. Cruising through Tracy Arm was a bewildering experience and I had to pinch myself several times to make sure it wasn’t a beautiful dream. Scroll down to follow my cruise through the Tracy Arm fjord in photos.

Tracy Arm fjord in photos

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Cruising into the Tracy Arms fjord.
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Flocks of gulls rest on the blue icebergs.
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The majestic Tracy Arms fjord.
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Chunks of ice in the jade-coloured water of Tracy Arms fjord.

This fjord was definitely a highlight of my Inside Passage Alaska cruise! I stood on the bow of the Wilderness Discoverer for what seemed like ages, taking in the magical images that flooded my brain. The captain expertly steered the ship past the large icebergs whilst the ship’s crew explained the different types of icebergs and the flora and fauna of the area.

The icebergs in Tracy Arms fjord up close.
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The blue of the icebergs was simply mesmerising!

The Sawyer glaciers

As we neared the far reaches of the fjord, the two sources of the icebergs came into view: the North Sawyer and South Sawyer glaciers! A sea of ice made it difficult to reach the South Sawyer glacier so we continued to the North Sawyer which was relatively free of ice. We hopped into zodiacs for a close-up view of the glacier. A truly awe-inspiring sight!

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The Tracy Arms fjord with the massive Sawyer glaciers.
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Thankfully, we could get closer to the North Sawyer glacier.
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As we approached the glacier in zodiacs, we got a real sense of its massive size!

The mountains, icebergs, glaciers and colours humble the soul with their grandeur and imposing appearance. Needless to say, the cruise through the Tracy Arm fjord is one I will never forget.

Note: a big thank you goes to InnerSea Discoveries for hosting me on their Inside Passage cruise.

10 Responses

  • […] Day 1 – This morning, I woke up to find ourselves cruising through a sea of ice. The captain steered the ship steadily past huge icebergs. In the distance, waterfalls tumbled down steep forested slopes. Thin, misty veils concealed the snow-capped peaks of these impressive mountains. This is the Tracy Arms fjord. […]

  • Hi Carolyn,

    Thanks for your comment! It really is such an incredibly beautiful spot isn’t it? It sure is better to go on a smaller cruise, especially in Alaska, as there are so many little fjords and coves which can’t handle the bigger ships. Glad you enjoyed my photos! 🙂

    Cheers,
    Keith

  • My sister and I just got back from an Alaskan cruise and I love your pictures. We were on a large ship and did not get as close as you. Your pictures put the size into perspective. It was beyond amazing.

  • […] your cruise ship visit this part of Alaska? Post a comment to share your experience. It looks like Keith Jenkins of Velvet Escape had better weather when his InnerSea Discoveries ship spent time cruising Tracy Arm. The photos make us want to go […]

  • Gorgeous pictures – am drawn to Alaska and have no idea why – read a book ‘Alaska Calls’ on a trip to North America once and think it sowed the seed! Enjoyed reading this. Hope to visit one day

  • We remember when you went there Keith, it was just before our trip, and we were thinking, auh… to bad it wasn’t at the same time, same ship!

    Thanks for the pics, Awesome!

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