Glacier Bay National Park & Preserve
Leaving Bartlett Cove just after 6:00am, the National Geographic Sea Lion began its journey into the 3.25 million acres that is Glacier Bay National Park & Preserve. With National Park Service interpretive ranger Janene Driscoll on board we were sure to learn and discover as much as we could about this magnificent park. The day prior, reports of a possible front approaching from the southwest had guests and staff alike wondering what the weather had in store for us. Fortunately the forecast was inaccurate in every way. With anticipation of sighting wildlife and soaking in the glorious surroundings, the bow and aft deck were the places to be. To paint an accurate and detailed picture of this day would take far too many pages than this brief synopsis is meant to contain. To put it in more contemporary terms, there weren’t enough megapixels to capture all that was in front of us.
The weather was a constant highlight and improved as we passed each inlet and snow capped peak. Our first lengthy wildlife viewing took place on South Marble Island. A rocky spot of land in the middle of the main fjord topped with the beginnings of coastal forest. Stellar sea lions acted as park hosts greeting us with their cacophony of moans and grunts while they lounged on the rocks. Flocks of seabirds, gulls and cormorants soared about the sheer cliffs while others were roosting on the ledges and tufts of grass where they nest. A highlight for all was the charismatic and colorful tufted puffins. Their seemingly disproportionate bodies and wings, common to the Alcidae family, made their flight look cumbersome. But when in the water these same awkward proportions allow them to fly through the water catching small bait fishes with their broad and robust bills. At least three black oyster catchers were seen on the rocks and pigeon guillemots and common murres were spotted on the rocks and over the water. At one point an American bald eagle swooped down and performed a fly-by along the cliffs, sending an entire compliment of birds into the air. A busier patch of rock would be hard to find.
Mountain goats were spotted on the eastern rock faces of the fjord. Some were browsing the vegetation and others were making the best of a sunny morning. These animals intentionally seek out these ledges and shelves of vegetation as a means to protect themselves from predators. They are perfectly suited for this habitat and their nearly pure white coats mimic the remnant snow patches. Not too far off from the first group of goats a keen-eyed Lindblad guest spotted the first bear of the day. A black bear, meandering the same slope as the goats. Neither showed any interest in the other’s business. Shortly after that another black bear was seen by the same keen-eyed guest. A rare and often sought after species for birders was spotted, at least 3 yellow-billed loons out in the open water.
Three staff members stayed on the bow to continue looking for wildlife as guests were sitting for lunch. Off the starboard bow a large brown shape could be seen breaking the water’s surface and leaving a wake. Too big to be an otter, not the right shape for a seal or sea lion. It was a brown bear treading water and intently making way across the fjord to an island. His rounded ears, blocky head, and thick shoulders were out of the water while a clump of fur on his rump remained dry. Needless to say, lunch was interrupted for this incredible sighting. The bow filled with guests cheering the bruin on. Camera shutters let loose in a frenzy and anticipation of him crossing this 2/3 of a mile stretch of frigid Alaskan water. In less than 10 minutes, he emerged from the glacial waters and with a trio of vigorous shakes went about his business.
The grand finale of the day was our time at the termini of the Margerie and Grand Pacific glaciers. Sitting at the end of the Tarr Inlet these two glaciers make for a splendid backdrop and living lesson in glaciology. Both were making booming pops and cracking sounds, but the Margerie stole the show. Witnessing a tidewater glacier calve into the sea is as impressive a display of nature’s force that one could imagine. On two separate occasions massive blocks of ice slipped from the glacier’s grasp and came crashing down, throwing ice and seawater hundreds of feet. Seconds later the thunderous roar of the event reached the awestruck onlookers on the NG Sea Lion’s bow. We took a few moments to absorb what we had experienced while the sun lit the 200 foot tall glacial face and nearby mountains. Turning down the inlet we cruised through the afternoon and made way for Bartlett Cove where our adventure began, simply amazing.
Leaving Bartlett Cove just after 6:00am, the National Geographic Sea Lion began its journey into the 3.25 million acres that is Glacier Bay National Park & Preserve. With National Park Service interpretive ranger Janene Driscoll on board we were sure to learn and discover as much as we could about this magnificent park. The day prior, reports of a possible front approaching from the southwest had guests and staff alike wondering what the weather had in store for us. Fortunately the forecast was inaccurate in every way. With anticipation of sighting wildlife and soaking in the glorious surroundings, the bow and aft deck were the places to be. To paint an accurate and detailed picture of this day would take far too many pages than this brief synopsis is meant to contain. To put it in more contemporary terms, there weren’t enough megapixels to capture all that was in front of us.
The weather was a constant highlight and improved as we passed each inlet and snow capped peak. Our first lengthy wildlife viewing took place on South Marble Island. A rocky spot of land in the middle of the main fjord topped with the beginnings of coastal forest. Stellar sea lions acted as park hosts greeting us with their cacophony of moans and grunts while they lounged on the rocks. Flocks of seabirds, gulls and cormorants soared about the sheer cliffs while others were roosting on the ledges and tufts of grass where they nest. A highlight for all was the charismatic and colorful tufted puffins. Their seemingly disproportionate bodies and wings, common to the Alcidae family, made their flight look cumbersome. But when in the water these same awkward proportions allow them to fly through the water catching small bait fishes with their broad and robust bills. At least three black oyster catchers were seen on the rocks and pigeon guillemots and common murres were spotted on the rocks and over the water. At one point an American bald eagle swooped down and performed a fly-by along the cliffs, sending an entire compliment of birds into the air. A busier patch of rock would be hard to find.
Mountain goats were spotted on the eastern rock faces of the fjord. Some were browsing the vegetation and others were making the best of a sunny morning. These animals intentionally seek out these ledges and shelves of vegetation as a means to protect themselves from predators. They are perfectly suited for this habitat and their nearly pure white coats mimic the remnant snow patches. Not too far off from the first group of goats a keen-eyed Lindblad guest spotted the first bear of the day. A black bear, meandering the same slope as the goats. Neither showed any interest in the other’s business. Shortly after that another black bear was seen by the same keen-eyed guest. A rare and often sought after species for birders was spotted, at least 3 yellow-billed loons out in the open water.
Three staff members stayed on the bow to continue looking for wildlife as guests were sitting for lunch. Off the starboard bow a large brown shape could be seen breaking the water’s surface and leaving a wake. Too big to be an otter, not the right shape for a seal or sea lion. It was a brown bear treading water and intently making way across the fjord to an island. His rounded ears, blocky head, and thick shoulders were out of the water while a clump of fur on his rump remained dry. Needless to say, lunch was interrupted for this incredible sighting. The bow filled with guests cheering the bruin on. Camera shutters let loose in a frenzy and anticipation of him crossing this 2/3 of a mile stretch of frigid Alaskan water. In less than 10 minutes, he emerged from the glacial waters and with a trio of vigorous shakes went about his business.
The grand finale of the day was our time at the termini of the Margerie and Grand Pacific glaciers. Sitting at the end of the Tarr Inlet these two glaciers make for a splendid backdrop and living lesson in glaciology. Both were making booming pops and cracking sounds, but the Margerie stole the show. Witnessing a tidewater glacier calve into the sea is as impressive a display of nature’s force that one could imagine. On two separate occasions massive blocks of ice slipped from the glacier’s grasp and came crashing down, throwing ice and seawater hundreds of feet. Seconds later the thunderous roar of the event reached the awestruck onlookers on the NG Sea Lion’s bow. We took a few moments to absorb what we had experienced while the sun lit the 200 foot tall glacial face and nearby mountains. Turning down the inlet we cruised through the afternoon and made way for Bartlett Cove where our adventure began, simply amazing.
