Tracy Arm is a fjord in Alaska near Juneau. The most common access is by boat using Stephens Passage and entering Holkham Bay and Tracy and Endicott Arms. Large tour vessels and smaller commercial cruise boats frequently use Tracy Arm as a tour destination or as a stop along their normal tour routes.
During the summer, the fjords have considerable floating ice ranging from hand-sized to pieces as large as a three-story building. During the most recent glaciated period, both fjords were filled with active glaciers.
The twin Sawyer Glaciers, North Sawyer and South Sawyer, are located at the end of Tracy Arm. The wildlife in the area includes black and brown bears, deer, wolves, harbor seals, and a variety of birds, such as Arctic terns and pigeon guillemots. The mountain goats, which are usually found in the higher elevation areas, have been seen near the base of Sawyer Glacier.
Princess departs from San Francisco. This is part of a 10-day Alaska cruise.
The description from Princess Cruise’s website:
Named after Civil War general Benjamin Franklin Tracy, this narrow fjord is located approximately 50 miles southeast of Juneau. Breathtaking Tracy Arm extends over 30 miles long, with nearly a quarter of its area covered in ice. In fact, it encompasses some of Alaska’s largest glaciers, including the twin Sawyer glaciers, which often expel enormous chunks of ice into the waters below in a magnificent process known as calving. During the summer when Princess ships visit, icebergs float along the surface of the glistening water in an array of sizes, from just a few inches up to three stories wide.
Protected within the Tongass National Forest, Tracy Arm Fjord is a haven for wildlife. Black and brown bears, deer, wolves, harbor seals, mountain goats and a variety of seabirds have been spotted in the area.
As you glide through the pristine fjord, you’ll first pass by a lush forest where a number of beautiful waterfalls cascade down, and then you’ll be treated to views of snowcapped mountains and blue-tinged glaciers more spectacular than you could ever imagine.
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