A kayaker paddles in front of the dramatic Fairweather Range. Sea kayaking in the wilderness of Glacier Bay National Park feels magical because it places you quietly inside a vast, living landscape. From the water, tidewater glaciers crack and thunder into the sea while snow-covered mountains rise straight from the shoreline. The silence between paddle strokes is broken by the breath of humpback whales, the splash of seals slipping off ice floes, or the calls of seabirds overhead. Moving at kayak speed creates an intimacy with the place, where shifting light, drifting ice, and immense scale combine into an experience that feels both humbling and timeless. Photographer: Sean Neilson