Glacier Bay National Park
The Sea Bird quietly entered the vast expanse of Glacier Bay National Park in the wee hours this morning. We stopped briefly at Park Headquarters in Bartlett Cove, picked up Marylou Blakeslee, our ranger for the day and began our exploration. How could we possibly have guessed what treasures this wild place held in store for us?
Shortly after breakfast we arrived at South Marble Island, and were greeted by the cacophony of hundreds of birds jostling for nest space. Seabirds of nearly every size and shape find refuge on this small, rocky island, and we were determined to spot them all. Harlequin ducks labored in the current, pelagic cormorants and black oystercatchers stood dark against the golden rockweed and tufted puffins careened past the cliff face to settle in the grassy clumps. Pigeon guillemots, common murres and horned puffins dove for small silvery fish, while black-legged kittiwakes and glaucous-winged gulls formed a riotous swirl around three bald eagles that entered the neighborhood. The rocks at the northern end of the island were covered with dozens of Steller sea lions. Some were still sleeping while others played in the water below, and we heard their throaty growls even as we pulled away.
Simply put, we were surprised by wildlife and wild land at every turn today. There were small bands of mountain goats grazing in the high alpine meadows and huge rafts of scoters afloat in the protected coves. Over the course of the day, we watched a total of six brown bears! Two huge blond bears grazed in the beach grass, acting alternately nonchalant about each other and then apparently amorous. A third bear ambled down to the beach at low tide to forage in the intertidal, proving the native Tlingit saying that “when the tide is out, the table is set”. Using its powerful forelegs, this bear rolled large boulders effortlessly, and slurped up the slippery fish and crustaceans that were exposed. Certainly the rarest sighting of the day was an enormous black wolf. We watched from a distance as it loped down the beach and disappeared into the woods, then returned to find it napping in the tall beach grass. Our incredible sightings of both bears and wolf were reminders of the wildness of this land, since these large predatory mammals require expanses of undisturbed habitat.
Not to be outdone by the wildlife, Margerie Glacier gave us quite a display. Sitting a quarter mile away from Margerie’s stunning blue face, we fully experienced this tidewater glacier. A chill breeze blew across our bow, we heard the sharp cracks and reports as crevasses formed within the glacier and the rolling “white thunder” while watching pieces as large as city skyscrapers crash into the water below.
Late in the afternoon, as we traveled back down the bay, we were treated to sampling of regional wines and locally produced foods. We decided to peek into Geikie Inlet, just to see if Glacier Bay had any more in store for us, and we were certainly rewarded. With wine glasses in one hand and binoculars in the other, we watched a moose cow with her yearling calf browse the willow and alder shrubs, stroll down to the water and wade in for a swim! The Sea Bird remained so still we were able to watch these large members of the deer family through our spotting scope for nearly half an hour.
An after dinner walk on the trails at Bartlett Cove allowed us to digest our dinner and our day’s experience in this gem of a national park.
The Sea Bird quietly entered the vast expanse of Glacier Bay National Park in the wee hours this morning. We stopped briefly at Park Headquarters in Bartlett Cove, picked up Marylou Blakeslee, our ranger for the day and began our exploration. How could we possibly have guessed what treasures this wild place held in store for us?
Shortly after breakfast we arrived at South Marble Island, and were greeted by the cacophony of hundreds of birds jostling for nest space. Seabirds of nearly every size and shape find refuge on this small, rocky island, and we were determined to spot them all. Harlequin ducks labored in the current, pelagic cormorants and black oystercatchers stood dark against the golden rockweed and tufted puffins careened past the cliff face to settle in the grassy clumps. Pigeon guillemots, common murres and horned puffins dove for small silvery fish, while black-legged kittiwakes and glaucous-winged gulls formed a riotous swirl around three bald eagles that entered the neighborhood. The rocks at the northern end of the island were covered with dozens of Steller sea lions. Some were still sleeping while others played in the water below, and we heard their throaty growls even as we pulled away.
Simply put, we were surprised by wildlife and wild land at every turn today. There were small bands of mountain goats grazing in the high alpine meadows and huge rafts of scoters afloat in the protected coves. Over the course of the day, we watched a total of six brown bears! Two huge blond bears grazed in the beach grass, acting alternately nonchalant about each other and then apparently amorous. A third bear ambled down to the beach at low tide to forage in the intertidal, proving the native Tlingit saying that “when the tide is out, the table is set”. Using its powerful forelegs, this bear rolled large boulders effortlessly, and slurped up the slippery fish and crustaceans that were exposed. Certainly the rarest sighting of the day was an enormous black wolf. We watched from a distance as it loped down the beach and disappeared into the woods, then returned to find it napping in the tall beach grass. Our incredible sightings of both bears and wolf were reminders of the wildness of this land, since these large predatory mammals require expanses of undisturbed habitat.
Not to be outdone by the wildlife, Margerie Glacier gave us quite a display. Sitting a quarter mile away from Margerie’s stunning blue face, we fully experienced this tidewater glacier. A chill breeze blew across our bow, we heard the sharp cracks and reports as crevasses formed within the glacier and the rolling “white thunder” while watching pieces as large as city skyscrapers crash into the water below.
Late in the afternoon, as we traveled back down the bay, we were treated to sampling of regional wines and locally produced foods. We decided to peek into Geikie Inlet, just to see if Glacier Bay had any more in store for us, and we were certainly rewarded. With wine glasses in one hand and binoculars in the other, we watched a moose cow with her yearling calf browse the willow and alder shrubs, stroll down to the water and wade in for a swim! The Sea Bird remained so still we were able to watch these large members of the deer family through our spotting scope for nearly half an hour.
An after dinner walk on the trails at Bartlett Cove allowed us to digest our dinner and our day’s experience in this gem of a national park.
