Last evening National Geographic Sea Lion paused offshore of the community of Gustavus and embarked National Park Service ranger/naturalist Amy and Tlingit cultural interpreter Faith. They came to relate the dramatic stories of Glacier Bay National Park over the next day. This international treasure is recognized by the United Nations as a Biosphere Reserve and World Heritage Site.
We entered the park after midnight and cruised northward through the night. At dawn photographers were glad to have arisen from their beds to witness the early morning light on the peaks reflected in the water of the bay. The full moon gave way to sunny skies and amazing scenery.
We worked our way through the ice in Johns Hopkins Inlet and at Jaw Point we saw what some say is the most stunning view in all of Glacier Bay National Park. The high mountains called Orville and Wilbur loom above and accentuate the Johns Hopkins Glacier. We spotted a few harbor seals before we turned and made our way out of the inlet.
We continued north and at the end of Tarr Inlet National Geographic Sea Lion reached the farthest northern point of our voyage. The Grand Pacific Glacier blocks further travel by boat. Now languishing near the border with Canada, this great river of ice once filled the entire inlet in which we currently cruise. In historic time, the ice was recorded to have retreated sixty-five miles in about two hundred years. We admired the brilliant white Margerie Glacier, which tumbles down to sea level from the Fairweather Mountains, with Mount Salisbury in spectacular view today.
On our return journey, we had a brief view of a brown (grizzly) bear walking along the shoreline, and later we were fortunate to see a black wolf! It was fun to watch this canid hunting - pouncing and munching, probably on small rodents. Then at Gloomy Knob we observed several mountain goats grazing on the hillside wearing thick furry coats, ready for winter.
As we contemplate our migration southward we notice other end-of-season changes. The fall colors of cottonwood trees and ground cover vegetation are evident. A few humpback whales remain in the park, preparing for their long journey across the Pacific Ocean to Hawaii. Seabirds have completed their nesting period. There was a magical atmosphere around South Marble Island with the sights, sounds and smells of birds and Steller sea lions stimulating our senses.
To complete our day, we had a chance to stretch our legs on the forest loop trail in Bartlett Cove. A Tlingit canoe and an articulated set of humpback whale bones were also of interest.
