It was a slightly earlier morning than usual. Today was an extra special treat, enjoying the overwhelming natural beauty visiting Glacier Bay National Park. Park Ranger Janine and Tlinget interpreter Alice welcomed us in with warm smiles and a wealth of knowledge to share. Guests kick-started the day by learning about local birds that would be encountered moments later while passing alongside South Marble Island, renowned for displaying quite the avian aggregations. Sea lions barked a guttural, boisterous commentary as we all smiled at the laughable sounds and various dog piles of large pinnipeds stacked along the sun-soaked rocks. Those that had all too recently started their “life bird lists” were delighted to steal a glance and/or a picture of both the tufted and horned puffins.
There was much to celebrate on this pretty darn glorious day as it was not only our very own whale expert extraordinaire, Andy Szabo’s birthday, but the National Park Service’s centennial anniversary season. After taking a break from the sun and wind, out watching the fauna filled scenery within the Park, we enjoyed presentations on the historical background of Glacier Bay, an introductory lesson in the Tlingit language, and a few specialty beverages to boot!
The best side of the ship beckoned us back though—the outside, of course. The former and current Park Rangers on board were amazed to see a group of mountain goats and even an adorable kid high up on the mountainsides, navigating steep cliffs with ease. The mountain goats made a few bounds and leaps, rammed their horns, and nibbled greenery as we were all captivated. Personally, I found their tiny wagging tails to be particularly darling. As we sailed on, the usual deep ocean blue became a vibrant, silty turquoise that gave way to Margerie Glacier. Stretching over a mile wide, the glacier displayed a few impressive calvings that were ‘moooving' so quickly that cameras were kept at the ready. Hopeful eyes continued to scan the coastline for wildlife and successfully spotted two wolves plus a mother with her baby otter perched atop her belly. A few keen eyes were even lucky enough to catch a glimpse of a far off black bear, hardly visible amidst surrounding vegetation.
A fabulous day came to a close while docking at Bartlett Cove to stretch our sea legs, explore truly gorgeous trails, visit an impressive whale skeleton with naturalist extraordinaire Andy Szabo, or lend an ear to the world renowned Alaskan author, Kim Heacox. Kim and our naturalist Emily played out the night with some lovely music, backlit by a gorgeous sunset. I think it’s safe to say we will sleep well tonight and hopefully dream of mountain goats prancing about, until tomorrow brings a new special encounter.
