After wonderful encounters with cetaceans bidding us goodnight, we awoke this morning in the notoriously wild Glacier Bay National Park. The weather was indeed fair as Mount Fairweather lingered in sight ahead. We welcomed Park Ranger, Chelsea, and Tlinget Cultural Interpreter, Jno, on board and began the day with an introduction to various birds that we were swiftly approaching in a flying feeding frenzy!
Birds squawking, with feathers a flurry, were echoed by the guttural outbursts from piles of sun soaking Steller sea lions lining the rocky coast of South Marble Island. The bow was a bustle, enjoying wildlife sightings as we forged deeper into Glacier Bay. Some of our younger guests were able to get a closer look at National Geographic Sea Bird’s bridge with an exclusive tour by Captain O’Brien. Then, up on the steep cliffs of Gloomy Knob, “Great goats galore!” was exclaimed on the bow. Once one mountain goat was spotted, more seemed to appear and multiply in number before our very eyes as they were scaling the mountainside or taking an afternoon siesta. Park Ranger Chelsea went on to show us some video footage of the watery underside, just below Gloomy Knob, where NOAA scientists had discovered deep, cold water corals that were brimming with color and life over 400 feet below the surface!
After smooth sailing, we shook things up a bit as the boat became surrounded by small bergy bits and pushed through the rolling tidal waves, generated from gigantic blocks of ice calving off glaciers into the turquoise water in the afternoon. Keen eyes were glued to the seascape as a beautiful brown bear emerged before us on the beach. The bear moseyed along, nibbling vegetation, and perchance a strawberry or two for quite some time before heading out of site into the woods.
Our day of brimming wildlife and sunshine came to a close as we hopped onto the dock at Bartlett Cove and the inklings of a sunset came into view. As we bid Chelsea and Jno goodnight, we bifurcated into various hiking groups to explore the beautiful temperate rain forest within the cove. Before the night’s end, we were delighted to welcome on one more riveting visitor, Kim Heacox, who captivated us with marvelous storytelling as an award winning photographer and accomplished musician. Delectable pastries were munched in the lounge as we drew a close to a fully spectacular day!
