We awoke this morning to overcast skies and calm waters. The stillness in Bartlett Cove was interrupted only intermittently by humpback whales near shore. After picking up Glacier Bay ranger Masaki Mizushima and Tlingit Cultural interpreter Alice Haldan, National Geographic Sea Lion made for South Marble Island to enjoy the scene of the local inhabitants. We could smell and hear the wildlife of the islands before we could see a plethora of Steller sea lions both ashore and frolicking in the water. Puffins buzzed the ship and swam alongside, taking us in. Gulls covered ledges and a solitary bald eagle monitored all the action from atop a rock.
After departing the Marble Islands, we traveled to Tidal Inlet. We were delighted to have an opportunity to encounter a male grizzly bear on shore scavenging for food. It was an amazing experience to just sit and watch such a massive creature free in the wild with such spectacular scenery all around us.
During lunch the sun came out and we made our way to Johns Hopkins Glacier. It was a breathtaking view. Waiting for the glacier to calve, we had the chance to learn more about the formation of the massive ice we were viewing at the moment, and looking around throughout the day, it’s easy to see why this park was named Glacier Bay. We had the chance to see the glacier calve, which was amazing. Seeing pieces of ice that large come crashing down into the water is an experience not many people get to take part in; also getting to hear the white thunder of the glacier breaking was quite an experience.
As we enjoyed our yet another exquisite dinner we approached the dock at Bartlett Cove where we had started the morning. We capped off our incredible day with a short hike near the shoreline at Bartlett Bay with an incredible sunset.
