Glacier Bay
An Alaskan sunrise slowly emerges over a fog-shrouded horizon as we leave Bartlett Cove and into the full wonder of Glacier Bay National Park. A glimmering glow of orange is almost instantly absorbed into the voluminous cloud cover. Far from muted, the day definitely brings a newfound awareness to the nuances and subtleties of the color gray. Somber granite contrasts with the smoky icebergs permeated by the moraine, sediment pushed ahead of a glacier like a wave, typically forming ridges at the edge. The fleeting vapor from a humpback whale’s blow is remarkably distinctive from the mist layer floating just above the surface.
Pushing ever deeper into Glacier Bay, like some winter retelling of a Joseph Conrad tale, we are drawn to the icy heart of this wilderness. A sea otter with a preposterously adorable kit is sighted at South Marble Island amidst the glaucous-winged gulls and black-legged kittiwakes, while puffins of both the horned and tufted variety sit stoically upon the craggy ledges.
We continue on, gently nudging through turquoise waters, past bergy bits and growlers, affectionate but scientifically accurate size classifications for iceberg parts. They are like little breadcrumbs that have crumbled from the loaf, leading us to the massive glacier face in all its awe-inspiring glory. Veins of dark brown earth streak across ice, ranging from the purest white to a deep cobalt blue. A maw-like cave, formed by some recent calving, stretches back into the gloomy shadows, a darkly alluring beauty that simultaneously beckons and cautions the imagination.
Local Rangers and interpreters are onboard to share insights into the cultural background of the park and the native people of this area. Activities for young and old alike are provided, such as lessons on whale identification, watercolor painting using potentially centuries-old melted ice and a delectable treat of glacier ice cream!
Russell Island offers a lone brown bear meandering down the beach and a day of splendor full of wildlife finally comes to an end. Arctic terns gracefully swoop in our Rorschach-test wake, a hypnotizing show of churning foam, slate and emerald.
