Glacier Bay National Park is really one of the jewels of the United States National Park System. Our day consisted of sailing north and south through approximately 65 miles of bay that was exposed over the last 250 years as the Grand Pacific Glacier retreated from Icy Strait and then south back down the bay.
We were in front of Johns Hopkins Glacier early, and a rainbow appeared. Seals floated on the ice, and the glacier calved. As we sailed through Russell Cut, a mother brown bear and two cubs were spotted. Gloomy Knob is where mountain goats are typically observed, and today four were found on the rocks. South Marble Island was the spot to observe puffins, black-legged kittiwakes, and many other bird species. Sea lions lounged on the rocks at both ends of the island. Sea otters were observed all day long, as their population has exploded to over 8,000 otters in the bay.
Before dinner, various hikes were offered at Bartlett Cove, allowing everyone to stretch their legs.
