Mondays are never a favorite day during the week, but this week our Monday was epic. We entered Glacier Bay National Park early in the morning to pick up our guest park ranger and cultural interpreter. Sailing north into the Park we first stopped at South Marble Island to take in the huge array of wildlife, from Sea Lions to Puffins. Next we cruised further to Gloomy Knob and Tidal Inlet to see Mountain Goats and Brown Bears fishing in the stream. Soon after we found ourselves at the dramatic Margerie and Grand Pacific Glacier, the great icy architect of Glacier Bay. A day full of sightseeing and presentations was topped by a visit to the small town of Gusdavis and evening walks as the sun set behind the mountains.
8/1/2019
Watch
National Geographic Venture
Baranof Island
After exploring the glaciers and open waters of the northern Inside Passage, we sailed south through the night and returned to the starting point of our journey, Baranof Island. This island, along with Admiralty to the east and Chichagof to the north, is home to one of the highest densities of brown bears in the world. To search for evidence of the bears as they begin their yearly salmon feast and continue our exploration of the temperate rainforest, we anchored in Kelp Bay to kayak and hike the shoreline throughout the morning. Later in the afternoon, we welcomed Dr. Andy Szabo of the Alaska Whale Foundation to learn more about ongoing research taking place in Alaska on the unique bubblenet feeding behavior we witnessed earlier in the trip. Only in Alaska can you experience the forest, salmon, bears, and whales all in one day.
