Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve
With its sparkling blue glaciers and towering mountain backdrop, Glacier Bay National Park lived up to its reputation as a truly remarkable natural wonder. Our morning began at the dock in Barlett Cove, the National Park Service headquarters and visitor center for the park. At 6:00 AM, Keith Rush, our National Park Service Ranger, joined us for a full day of voyaging and exploration up and down the 60-mile-long glacial fjord. With our ranger aboard, the Sea Lion slipped away from the dock and proceeded through the low-hanging mist into the heart of the bay.
Shortly before breakfast we arrived at South Marble Island. Here, we had the opportunity to view Steller sea lions, pelagic cormorants, black-legged kittiwakes, and puffins. Two different species of puffins nest on South Marble Island. Tufted puffins, distinguished by the yellow tufts on both sides of their heads, nonchalantly swam in the water around the Sea Lion. We spotted them perched on the steep cliffs of the island as well. Periodically, one would launch itself from the side of the cliff and wildly flail its stubby wings as it flew past the ship. In addition to the tufted variety of puffins, we also saw horned puffins swimming near the island (pictured). These smaller black and white puffins have a black marking above their eyes, which accounts for their name.
Following our visit to South Marble Island, we continued up the bay toward the Margerie and Grand Pacific Glaciers. Just north of Tidal Inlet, we scanned the steep gray cliffs of Gloomy Knob for mountain goats. Few predators can reach these sure-footed animals on the treacherous slopes they call home. High on the cliff, we spotted a number of goats resting peacefully. A few minutes later, something on the shore caught our attention. We drew closer and were treated to a clear view of a female brown bear and two cubs foraging on the hillside. The cubs tagged along with mom as she dug around the shrubs looking for food.
The sky cleared and the tall peaks of the Fairweather Range towered above us as we traveled into the heart of Glacier Bay. After lunch, we arrived at our destination, the Margerie and Grand Pacific Glaciers. The Margerie Glacier, bright blue in color, stood out from the dirty brown color of the Grand Pacific Glacier. While we waited in front of the Margerie Glacier, a number of massive chunks of ice fell from the 250-foot tall face. The resulting booms echoed across Tarr Inlet, and the waves pushed up by the calving ice rocked the Sea Lion.
As we began our return trip down Glacier Bay, we continued scanning the shores for wildlife. In Geikie Inlet, we spotted a big black bear resting on a patch of snow left over from the past winter. We could not tell if the bear was eating something in the snow, or simply relaxing and enjoying the warm, sunny afternoon. We continued to watch the bear for a few more minutes until the Sea Lion turned around and left the inlet.
After dinner, we returned to the dock in Bartlett Cove. Guests had the opportunity to explore a nature trail near the Glacier Bay Lodge. Here, we saw a young black bear, one of two juveniles that live in the woods near the dock. We also saw a big porcupine clinging to a branch on a tall black cottonwood tree. As the narrow branch swayed under its weight, the porcupine reached out and grabbed pawfuls of fresh cottonwood leaves and stuffed them in its mouth. As the sun set over the snowcapped Fairweather Range, we reflected on the wild beauty of this amazing portion of Southeast Alaska.
With its sparkling blue glaciers and towering mountain backdrop, Glacier Bay National Park lived up to its reputation as a truly remarkable natural wonder. Our morning began at the dock in Barlett Cove, the National Park Service headquarters and visitor center for the park. At 6:00 AM, Keith Rush, our National Park Service Ranger, joined us for a full day of voyaging and exploration up and down the 60-mile-long glacial fjord. With our ranger aboard, the Sea Lion slipped away from the dock and proceeded through the low-hanging mist into the heart of the bay.
Shortly before breakfast we arrived at South Marble Island. Here, we had the opportunity to view Steller sea lions, pelagic cormorants, black-legged kittiwakes, and puffins. Two different species of puffins nest on South Marble Island. Tufted puffins, distinguished by the yellow tufts on both sides of their heads, nonchalantly swam in the water around the Sea Lion. We spotted them perched on the steep cliffs of the island as well. Periodically, one would launch itself from the side of the cliff and wildly flail its stubby wings as it flew past the ship. In addition to the tufted variety of puffins, we also saw horned puffins swimming near the island (pictured). These smaller black and white puffins have a black marking above their eyes, which accounts for their name.
Following our visit to South Marble Island, we continued up the bay toward the Margerie and Grand Pacific Glaciers. Just north of Tidal Inlet, we scanned the steep gray cliffs of Gloomy Knob for mountain goats. Few predators can reach these sure-footed animals on the treacherous slopes they call home. High on the cliff, we spotted a number of goats resting peacefully. A few minutes later, something on the shore caught our attention. We drew closer and were treated to a clear view of a female brown bear and two cubs foraging on the hillside. The cubs tagged along with mom as she dug around the shrubs looking for food.
The sky cleared and the tall peaks of the Fairweather Range towered above us as we traveled into the heart of Glacier Bay. After lunch, we arrived at our destination, the Margerie and Grand Pacific Glaciers. The Margerie Glacier, bright blue in color, stood out from the dirty brown color of the Grand Pacific Glacier. While we waited in front of the Margerie Glacier, a number of massive chunks of ice fell from the 250-foot tall face. The resulting booms echoed across Tarr Inlet, and the waves pushed up by the calving ice rocked the Sea Lion.
As we began our return trip down Glacier Bay, we continued scanning the shores for wildlife. In Geikie Inlet, we spotted a big black bear resting on a patch of snow left over from the past winter. We could not tell if the bear was eating something in the snow, or simply relaxing and enjoying the warm, sunny afternoon. We continued to watch the bear for a few more minutes until the Sea Lion turned around and left the inlet.
After dinner, we returned to the dock in Bartlett Cove. Guests had the opportunity to explore a nature trail near the Glacier Bay Lodge. Here, we saw a young black bear, one of two juveniles that live in the woods near the dock. We also saw a big porcupine clinging to a branch on a tall black cottonwood tree. As the narrow branch swayed under its weight, the porcupine reached out and grabbed pawfuls of fresh cottonwood leaves and stuffed them in its mouth. As the sun set over the snowcapped Fairweather Range, we reflected on the wild beauty of this amazing portion of Southeast Alaska.
