A poem by Annika Batt
Brown and Fuzzy
Eats everything (including us)
Aggressive when surprised
Really cute (from far away!)
A glacial poem from Glacier Bay National Park Ranger Rebekah Wierda
Ice flowing downhill
Creaking, cracking as it goes
Glaciers sure are cool!
An absolutely stellar day in Glacier Bay started with a cacophony of Steller sea lions growling, roaring and generally lolling on the rocks at South Marble Island. Hormone-infused birds were wheeling around the island as well, stirred up in the activity of laying eggs, brooding and ultimately fledging their chicks. Humpback whales were diving all around the island. Where were the bears? We started the day with a bit of bear anxiety, which diminished as we approached Tidal Inlet and found a large brown bear foraging in the intertidal zone. We left that bear in order to view three more inside Tidal Inlet, a sow with two-year-old cubs. By the time we went through Russel Cut, we were reaching bear satiation with our fifth bear sighting.
The warm wind blowing across our deck as we viewed Marjorie Glacier is a sign of change in Glacier Bay. The landscape and its inhabitants will have new pressures and environmental changes to work with. We ended our day with the inauguration of several new Junior Rangers, stewards to help this park meet its future challenges.
