Awaking in Glacier Bay fills me with a sense of anticipation I find unrivaled in most places around the globe. “What gifts will it offer us today?” I always wonder. Renowned for its unique glacial dynamics, outstanding wildlife, and rich human and cultural history, Glacier Bay is designated as a National Park and part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Furthermore, it is the traditional homeland for the Huna Tlingit. The Huna Tlingit and their ancestors have called this area home since time immemorial, but they relocated to the town now called Hoonah following a rapid glacier advance through their home territory in the early 1700s. Upon the catastrophic retreat of the ice, the area filled with seawater, creating the waterway we transited today.
We could not have asked for more from today’s journey through the bay. We experienced rain and sun, brown bears and mountain goats, Arctic terns and tufted puffins, and the chill at the face of a tidewater glacier – just to name a few of the highlights. Our evening concluded with an opportunity to walk ashore at Bartlett Cove.
