Glacier Bay National Park
Having transited 60 miles up Glacier Bay during the night, we awoke in the upper reaches of Tarr Inlet to a spectacular view of two glaciers side by side forming a continuous wall of ice stretching three miles across. On our left was the intensely blue ice of the Margerie Glacier and to our right stretched the Grand Pacific Glacier cloaked in black from soil and rock dragged down out of the mountains. After breakfast we stopped in front of Johns Hopkins Glacier and were fortunate to witness some thunderous glacier calving throwing tremendous quantities of seawater skyward – much to everyone’s delight! Chubby little harbor seals dotted the ice and watched us with big curious eyes.
As we traveled down Glacier Bay we were treated to a virtual parade of Alaskan wildlife. We saw a brown bear foraging on the mountainside, and later, after lunch, we saw another one walking leisurely along the beach at low tide rolling rocks over to look for seafood snacks. We saw creamy-white mountain goats on several hillsides including one just sitting majestically on a rock outcrop surveying the fiord below. On the cliffs we saw tufted puffins, pelagic cormorants, and mew gulls, while surf scoters and pigeon guillemots dotted the water. In the afternoon, naturalist Larry Prussin gave an engaging presentation on seabird natural history that was immediately followed by great views of even more tufted puffins at South Marble Island. There was also a loud, sprawling conglomeration of Steller’s sea lions hauled out on the rocks. Many were vying for the “best” spot and roared or growled their discontent at anyone in their way. From there we sailed to the next small rocky island to the south to see dozens of fuzzy northern sea otters floating on their backs or rolling and diving amongst the floating fronds of kelp. A few harbor porpoises surfaced not far away sounding their little “puff, puff, puff” of breaths before diving again.
By evening we docked at Bartlett Cove and had a choice of activities including seeing the visitors’ center or taking a hike either on the forest loop trail or the beach to view the interstadial stumps left behind when the encroaching glaciers sheared off ancient trees. It was a day of spectacular Alaskan wildlife and wilderness!
Having transited 60 miles up Glacier Bay during the night, we awoke in the upper reaches of Tarr Inlet to a spectacular view of two glaciers side by side forming a continuous wall of ice stretching three miles across. On our left was the intensely blue ice of the Margerie Glacier and to our right stretched the Grand Pacific Glacier cloaked in black from soil and rock dragged down out of the mountains. After breakfast we stopped in front of Johns Hopkins Glacier and were fortunate to witness some thunderous glacier calving throwing tremendous quantities of seawater skyward – much to everyone’s delight! Chubby little harbor seals dotted the ice and watched us with big curious eyes.
As we traveled down Glacier Bay we were treated to a virtual parade of Alaskan wildlife. We saw a brown bear foraging on the mountainside, and later, after lunch, we saw another one walking leisurely along the beach at low tide rolling rocks over to look for seafood snacks. We saw creamy-white mountain goats on several hillsides including one just sitting majestically on a rock outcrop surveying the fiord below. On the cliffs we saw tufted puffins, pelagic cormorants, and mew gulls, while surf scoters and pigeon guillemots dotted the water. In the afternoon, naturalist Larry Prussin gave an engaging presentation on seabird natural history that was immediately followed by great views of even more tufted puffins at South Marble Island. There was also a loud, sprawling conglomeration of Steller’s sea lions hauled out on the rocks. Many were vying for the “best” spot and roared or growled their discontent at anyone in their way. From there we sailed to the next small rocky island to the south to see dozens of fuzzy northern sea otters floating on their backs or rolling and diving amongst the floating fronds of kelp. A few harbor porpoises surfaced not far away sounding their little “puff, puff, puff” of breaths before diving again.
By evening we docked at Bartlett Cove and had a choice of activities including seeing the visitors’ center or taking a hike either on the forest loop trail or the beach to view the interstadial stumps left behind when the encroaching glaciers sheared off ancient trees. It was a day of spectacular Alaskan wildlife and wilderness!
