Glacier Bay National Park
Finally, following days of blinding sunshine, some low clouds and a few droplets of mist have drifted in from the nearby Pacific Ocean. On the National Geographic Sea Lion, we strive to provide an authentic experience of place wherever we travel, and today’s beautiful soft clouds draping the shoulders of the mountains offered us a true coastal temperate rainforest appearance at last.
The abundant wildlife covering most of South Marble Island would be enough to bring us into Glacier Bay. Tufted puffins and common murres dotted the water, while a flock of raucous black-legged kittiwakes were flushed from their numerous cliff-hugging nests by a marauding raven. Growling Steller sea lions basked on most of the smooth lower rocks, with their soothing bass notes offsetting the sharp high calls of the gulls.
Scanning the marbled grey hillside of Gloomy Knob for mountain goats, it first appeared that there weren’t any of the nimble white animals climbing or resting on the steep slopes. But our sharp-eyed Glacier Bay Ranger, Emma spotted one, and very soon more and more mountain goats came into view. The true meaning of the term nanny was apparent as we observed four cavorting kids watched over by several adult female mountain goats.
As this massive rock and ice carved body of sea water continued to unfold before us, the vastness and drama of the scene was nearly overwhelming. Huge U-shaped valleys, hills of morainal material left behind during the icy retreat, and large outwash areas finally culminate at the end of Tarr Inlet with two large tidewater glaciers. Watching the Margerie Glacier with its bright blue and white ice face over 250 feet tall drop chunks of ice into the water as it slides slowly down the mountain is an inspiring piece of time well spent.
