Glacier Bay National Park, Alaska
Last evening the Sea Bird paused offshore of the town of Gustavus, outside of Glacier Bay National Park, where we picked up Aaron Grimes, the park service Ranger/Naturalist who would cruise with us for the day to interpret and tell the amazing story of the area. During the night we cruised to the head of the bay and awoke early this morning at the end of Tarr Inlet in front of the magnificent Grand Pacific and Margerie Glaciers. Margerie is an active tidewater glacier that regularly calves into the inlet. Bald eagles and Northwestern crows were observed perched high on the glacial seracs as we watched and listened to the glacier. Grand Pacific (the main trunk glacier coming from British Columbia, Canada) is being upstaged by the Ferris Glacier, a tributary that is pushing in front of the receding Grand Pacific and carrying massive amounts of dark morainal rubble along with it. Overcast skies enhanced colors and created interesting lighting on this typical Southeast Alaska day.
A cruise along the wall adjacent to Margerie Glacier took us by a black-legged kittiwake colony. Many noisy birds were still around, but only a few young seem to have fledged. We were thrilled to also spot a horned puffin sitting on the water. On our way toward Johns Hopkins Inlet we were temporarily diverted to the far shore of Tarr Inlet to view a brown bear as it meandered along the beach and into the shrubbery.
Aaron gave an introductory orientation and handed out park maps in the lounge after breakfast to prepare us for our visit today. Everyone was on deck as we rounded Jaw Point in Johns Hopkins Inlet, where the scenery is so stunning that jaws drop in awe. Several small, steep glaciers creep down from both sides of the inlet, with Johns Hopkins Glacier at the head of the bay. We passed the “suture zone,” where differing rocks mark the boundary between two exotic terranes. Hundreds of harbor seals tarried on icebergs. Pregnant females arrived here in the spring to bear their pups, safe from land and sea predators. Now the young ones are weaned and on their own.
In preparation for later in the day, Aaron told us the history of the sea otter. Hunted to near extinction for its luxurious fur, the animal has been reintroduced and is expanding in certain areas. Although it occurred historically in Glacier Bay, it has only recently (1994) recolonized here.
Passing Gloomy Knob, composed of gray and white dolomite, we spotted a few resting mountain goats. One was lying on top, along the skyline, with her kid close beside her.
We crossed the bay to explore Shag Cove in Geike Inlet. Cottonwood trees were starting to sport golden colors, a reminder that summer is waning. The young people on our voyage are all too-aware of this, as some of them return to school next week.
As we repositioned, Stanford Professor Rob Dunbar gave a presentation about the changing glaciers of Alaska, mentioning some of the differences between circumstances in Antarctica and here, and how much things have altered in a short period of time. It is hard to know how much humans are influencing the climate on our planet, but rapid climate change, one way or another, will have a significant impact on our lifestyles.
South Marble Island was our next stop. Although the nesting season is winding down, this small island is still busy with seabird activity. We enjoyed tufted puffins, glaucous-winged gulls, black-legged kittiwakes, pelagic cormorants, common murres, and pigeon guillemots. It was a total sensory experience. At the completion of our circumnavigation, there was a group of roaring Steller sea lions hauled out and interacting on the rocks. The heat from their warm bodies created a cloud of steam upon meeting the cool air surrounding them. This is the largest sea lion and, although doing well in Southeast Alaska, the species is declining and its status is considered threatened elsewhere in its range.
A short while later we approached Boulder Island, where to our delight we found some sea otters near kelp beds. We watched them floating calmly on their backs with their head, front paws and rear feet out of the water. Without blubber to help keep them warm, they rely on the integrity of their dense fur and are constantly grooming and rolling to keep it clean.
With a chance to visit the lodge and stretch our legs in Bartlett Cove, we returned to the Sea Bird for dessert and felt content with a full and interesting day.
Last evening the Sea Bird paused offshore of the town of Gustavus, outside of Glacier Bay National Park, where we picked up Aaron Grimes, the park service Ranger/Naturalist who would cruise with us for the day to interpret and tell the amazing story of the area. During the night we cruised to the head of the bay and awoke early this morning at the end of Tarr Inlet in front of the magnificent Grand Pacific and Margerie Glaciers. Margerie is an active tidewater glacier that regularly calves into the inlet. Bald eagles and Northwestern crows were observed perched high on the glacial seracs as we watched and listened to the glacier. Grand Pacific (the main trunk glacier coming from British Columbia, Canada) is being upstaged by the Ferris Glacier, a tributary that is pushing in front of the receding Grand Pacific and carrying massive amounts of dark morainal rubble along with it. Overcast skies enhanced colors and created interesting lighting on this typical Southeast Alaska day.
A cruise along the wall adjacent to Margerie Glacier took us by a black-legged kittiwake colony. Many noisy birds were still around, but only a few young seem to have fledged. We were thrilled to also spot a horned puffin sitting on the water. On our way toward Johns Hopkins Inlet we were temporarily diverted to the far shore of Tarr Inlet to view a brown bear as it meandered along the beach and into the shrubbery.
Aaron gave an introductory orientation and handed out park maps in the lounge after breakfast to prepare us for our visit today. Everyone was on deck as we rounded Jaw Point in Johns Hopkins Inlet, where the scenery is so stunning that jaws drop in awe. Several small, steep glaciers creep down from both sides of the inlet, with Johns Hopkins Glacier at the head of the bay. We passed the “suture zone,” where differing rocks mark the boundary between two exotic terranes. Hundreds of harbor seals tarried on icebergs. Pregnant females arrived here in the spring to bear their pups, safe from land and sea predators. Now the young ones are weaned and on their own.
In preparation for later in the day, Aaron told us the history of the sea otter. Hunted to near extinction for its luxurious fur, the animal has been reintroduced and is expanding in certain areas. Although it occurred historically in Glacier Bay, it has only recently (1994) recolonized here.
Passing Gloomy Knob, composed of gray and white dolomite, we spotted a few resting mountain goats. One was lying on top, along the skyline, with her kid close beside her.
We crossed the bay to explore Shag Cove in Geike Inlet. Cottonwood trees were starting to sport golden colors, a reminder that summer is waning. The young people on our voyage are all too-aware of this, as some of them return to school next week.
As we repositioned, Stanford Professor Rob Dunbar gave a presentation about the changing glaciers of Alaska, mentioning some of the differences between circumstances in Antarctica and here, and how much things have altered in a short period of time. It is hard to know how much humans are influencing the climate on our planet, but rapid climate change, one way or another, will have a significant impact on our lifestyles.
South Marble Island was our next stop. Although the nesting season is winding down, this small island is still busy with seabird activity. We enjoyed tufted puffins, glaucous-winged gulls, black-legged kittiwakes, pelagic cormorants, common murres, and pigeon guillemots. It was a total sensory experience. At the completion of our circumnavigation, there was a group of roaring Steller sea lions hauled out and interacting on the rocks. The heat from their warm bodies created a cloud of steam upon meeting the cool air surrounding them. This is the largest sea lion and, although doing well in Southeast Alaska, the species is declining and its status is considered threatened elsewhere in its range.
A short while later we approached Boulder Island, where to our delight we found some sea otters near kelp beds. We watched them floating calmly on their backs with their head, front paws and rear feet out of the water. Without blubber to help keep them warm, they rely on the integrity of their dense fur and are constantly grooming and rolling to keep it clean.
With a chance to visit the lodge and stretch our legs in Bartlett Cove, we returned to the Sea Bird for dessert and felt content with a full and interesting day.
