Glacier Bay National Park
Overnight we sailed to Bartlett Cove and during the wee small hours of the morning, we picked up park ranger Arron Grimes who was our local guide for the day. It was truly a rare day in Glacier National Park, we awoke to stunning sunshine and perfectly blue, cloudless skies. Our first stop was off the Marbled Islands where male Steller sea lions basked on the rocks. We also had great views of tufted puffins and admired their long yellow plumes and clown-like bright orange beaks. As we slowly moved away, a humpback whale breached several times near the bow of the Sea Bird. What a fantastic way to start the day!
We continued to cruise further into Glacier Bay and our second stop was at Gloomy Nob, a rock outcropping where mountain goats can be found. Everyone was out on deck searching for these creamy colored critters that make their homes in craggy mountaintops. We spotted a female mountain goat with a young kid that was probably born about a month ago. Most of us had worked up quite an appetite with all the early morning deck time and thoroughly enjoyed the fantastic brunch the versatile gallery prepared.
Later in the morning we arrived just off the edges of the Grand Pacific and Marjorie glaciers. We stared at glaciers soaked in sunshine and hoped for pieces of the 250-foot high Marjorie glacier to calve. Our patience was rewarded when a large pinnacle of ice, at least ten stories high, fell dramatically into the glacier flour-filled waters!
During the afternoon we retraced our route back down Glacier Bay and stopped near the John Hopkins glacier. Matthew Nolan gave an excellent presentation about his research on glaciers in this part of Alaska. The incredible weather held throughout the day and the deck chairs were all filled with people who admired the passing scenery and who would have thought it, worked on their tans in Alaska!
Just before recap, we stopped just off the fantastic kelp beds near Boulder Island searching for the smallest of the marine mammals, the sea otter. We had wonderful glimpses of these furry animals wrapped up in the kelp beds or swimming along the shoreline.
During dinner we came alongside the dock back at Bartlett Cove. After another delicious meal most of us went for a much needed leg stretch in the forest. The trail meandered through the 200-year-old spruce forest and along a couple of kettle ponds. It was such a fitting way to end our incredible day as took in all the majestic beauty of Glacier National Park.
Overnight we sailed to Bartlett Cove and during the wee small hours of the morning, we picked up park ranger Arron Grimes who was our local guide for the day. It was truly a rare day in Glacier National Park, we awoke to stunning sunshine and perfectly blue, cloudless skies. Our first stop was off the Marbled Islands where male Steller sea lions basked on the rocks. We also had great views of tufted puffins and admired their long yellow plumes and clown-like bright orange beaks. As we slowly moved away, a humpback whale breached several times near the bow of the Sea Bird. What a fantastic way to start the day!
We continued to cruise further into Glacier Bay and our second stop was at Gloomy Nob, a rock outcropping where mountain goats can be found. Everyone was out on deck searching for these creamy colored critters that make their homes in craggy mountaintops. We spotted a female mountain goat with a young kid that was probably born about a month ago. Most of us had worked up quite an appetite with all the early morning deck time and thoroughly enjoyed the fantastic brunch the versatile gallery prepared.
Later in the morning we arrived just off the edges of the Grand Pacific and Marjorie glaciers. We stared at glaciers soaked in sunshine and hoped for pieces of the 250-foot high Marjorie glacier to calve. Our patience was rewarded when a large pinnacle of ice, at least ten stories high, fell dramatically into the glacier flour-filled waters!
During the afternoon we retraced our route back down Glacier Bay and stopped near the John Hopkins glacier. Matthew Nolan gave an excellent presentation about his research on glaciers in this part of Alaska. The incredible weather held throughout the day and the deck chairs were all filled with people who admired the passing scenery and who would have thought it, worked on their tans in Alaska!
Just before recap, we stopped just off the fantastic kelp beds near Boulder Island searching for the smallest of the marine mammals, the sea otter. We had wonderful glimpses of these furry animals wrapped up in the kelp beds or swimming along the shoreline.
During dinner we came alongside the dock back at Bartlett Cove. After another delicious meal most of us went for a much needed leg stretch in the forest. The trail meandered through the 200-year-old spruce forest and along a couple of kettle ponds. It was such a fitting way to end our incredible day as took in all the majestic beauty of Glacier National Park.
