We awoke to glassy waters, low-lying clouds, and heavy rain hissing in the silence as we motored north to Margerie Glacier, the northern extent of Glacier Bay. Sea otters and harbor seals swam between chunks of glacial ice in front of the glacier, a sheer, jagged wall of blue ice rising from the water.
At Jaw Point, we marveled at the sheer expanse of the Johns Hopkins Glacier and brunched before the blue face of Lamplugh Glacier before cruising south. At Gloomy Knob, mountain goats scaled the sheer granite faces with delicate skill and ease. Nannies watched their kids jump and leap from ledge to ledge. Farther south at South Marble Island, the calm of the afternoon was broken by the boisterous calls of Steller sea lions, black-legged kittiwakes, and pelagic cormorants. Tufted puffins floated in droves along the shore, a few buzzing near the bow as they came in for landings.
At Bartlett Cove, we explored the trails around the National Park headquarters. A brief, heavy squall of rain chased away the biting gnats as we wandered through the coastal forest. A few lucky guests even saw a moose!
Glacier Bay is always an amazing treat, and calm seas and great wildlife made today an extra special visit.
