Glacier Bay
Today we cruised the waters of Glacier Bay National Park. Early risers were greeted with sheet glass water disturbed only by the blow of humpback whales feeding nearby. Along the eastern shore a sharp-eyed guest spied a mother black bear and two cubs foraging for food. A slow pass by South Marble Island allowed us to observe and hear the growl of Steller sea lions. There we also caught sight of pelagic cormorants, a rhinoceros auklet and, to the delight of all on board, we saw both horned and tufted puffins. A morning highlight came shortly after when we encountered a pod of orcas, or killer whales. Several females or immature males and a small calf were seen repeatedly as was a large adult male whose distinctive dorsal fin rose nearly six feet above the sea. These, so called “transient” pods are known to feed upon marine mammals such as harbor seals, seal lions, and rarely, other whales.
It is hard to top such a beautiful morning where we had enjoyed this incredible variety of wildlife, but the wonders of the park were not through with us yet. The physical realm took over as we rounded Jaw Point to catch our first glimpse of the Johns Hopkins glacier. At Jaw Point, rocks on both sides of the fjord record a tectonic suture between exotic terranes that attached to the edge of the continent in the Mesozoic era more than sixty-five million years ago. Here, fractures and intrusions associated with this collision are clearly displayed due to glacial erosion. Speaking of glaciers, the Johns Hopkins is truly one of the most dynamic of all the tidewater glaciers of Southeast Alaska. It is currently advancing into the fjord at an average rate of eight feet per day. We stared awestruck as huge blocks of ice weighing several tons calved into the fjord producing a loud crack of “white thunder” and sending waves that swept under the ship.
An afternoon lecture on forest ecology by naturalist Steve MacLean provided further information about the park. After dinner, our guests were shuttled to the dock where they relaxed at the lodge or spent the last of the evening light walking the loop trail through an area that only 300 years ago was covered by glacial ice.
Today we cruised the waters of Glacier Bay National Park. Early risers were greeted with sheet glass water disturbed only by the blow of humpback whales feeding nearby. Along the eastern shore a sharp-eyed guest spied a mother black bear and two cubs foraging for food. A slow pass by South Marble Island allowed us to observe and hear the growl of Steller sea lions. There we also caught sight of pelagic cormorants, a rhinoceros auklet and, to the delight of all on board, we saw both horned and tufted puffins. A morning highlight came shortly after when we encountered a pod of orcas, or killer whales. Several females or immature males and a small calf were seen repeatedly as was a large adult male whose distinctive dorsal fin rose nearly six feet above the sea. These, so called “transient” pods are known to feed upon marine mammals such as harbor seals, seal lions, and rarely, other whales.
It is hard to top such a beautiful morning where we had enjoyed this incredible variety of wildlife, but the wonders of the park were not through with us yet. The physical realm took over as we rounded Jaw Point to catch our first glimpse of the Johns Hopkins glacier. At Jaw Point, rocks on both sides of the fjord record a tectonic suture between exotic terranes that attached to the edge of the continent in the Mesozoic era more than sixty-five million years ago. Here, fractures and intrusions associated with this collision are clearly displayed due to glacial erosion. Speaking of glaciers, the Johns Hopkins is truly one of the most dynamic of all the tidewater glaciers of Southeast Alaska. It is currently advancing into the fjord at an average rate of eight feet per day. We stared awestruck as huge blocks of ice weighing several tons calved into the fjord producing a loud crack of “white thunder” and sending waves that swept under the ship.
An afternoon lecture on forest ecology by naturalist Steve MacLean provided further information about the park. After dinner, our guests were shuttled to the dock where they relaxed at the lodge or spent the last of the evening light walking the loop trail through an area that only 300 years ago was covered by glacial ice.
