We’ve spent the entire day in Glacier Bay National Park, and what a marvelous day it’s been. We could not have asked for better weather, with beautiful blue skies and the sun shining down from morning to evening.
We started the day off by picking up two National Park Service Rangers as well as a Tlingit Cultural Interpreter, who offered several programs and provided amazing commentary throughout the day. Eliza was up on the aft deck early this morning to conduct the stretch class, and it was by far one of the most amazing mornings so far on the trip with stunning views of the massive peaks surrounding us on all sides as we cruised through Glacier Bay National Park.
After breakfast, we arrived at South Marble Island where we had great sightings of tufted puffins, Steller’s sea lions, and a number of nesting seabirds. Shortly after cruising past South Marble we encountered a massive brown bear on the shoreline, an amazing spotting and a stunning view of one of these magnificent creatures. As the bear slowly made its way back into the tall grasses, we moved on and continued to scan the terrain for wildlife. Just before lunch, several mountain goats were spotted on nearby cliff faces, and we maneuvered the Sea Lion in for a closer look. These amazing animals are some of the best climbers in the world, and we enjoyed watching them scramble the steep mountainous walls with ease.
In the afternoon, we arrived at Margerie Glacier in hopes of witnessing some calving activity and what a fortunate group we were… We watched as massive pieces of ice came crashing down, one after another, followed by thunderous reverberations as the ice, some as large as a several story building, crashed down into the waters below. It was a fantastic experience of both sound and sight.
As the evening came to a close, the National Geographic Sea Lion docked at Bartlett Cove to drop off our wonderful rangers and cultural interpreter. We had just enough time to enjoy a beautiful mile-long hike on a forest trail that put us at the lodge and park headquarters. It’s been an action-packed day here at Glacier Bay National Park, and definitely one of the highlights of the trip so far!
