Glacier Bay National Park
I awoke to the lovely light of another sunlit day shining on the seracs of Lamplugh Glacier as we sailed towards the head of Glacier Bay National Park - and this was just the view out of my cabin window even before the other highlights of the day - Annette Miller, Guest. We entered Tarr inlet and continued to the end of the West Arm of the bay, where it dead-ended at the magnificent Grand Pacific and Margerie Glaciers. The first sights we saw were towers of ice calving off the brilliant white face of Margerie glacier, with the resonating sounds booming across the water.
We spotted the first puffin of the day when we cruised by the black-legged kittiwake colony adjacent to Margerie Glacier. Sitting on the water among the white kittiwakes was one black bird with a big orange beak - the sea parrot - the clown of the ocean - a tufted puffin. Other interesting birds today included bald eagles, pelagic cormorants, marbled murrelets, black oystercatchers, common murres, loons, and pigeon guillemots. Some have made the transition from summer to winter plumage following the breeding season. Occasional distant mountain goats were spotted and challenged people's binocular skills and imaginations.
The vegetation has also changed with the seasons; the hillsides displayed patches of bright reds and yellows. Tawny plumes of mountain avens seed heads covered large areas. The fireweed blossoms have reached the top of their flower spikes, signaling the end of summer. With the warmth and sunshine of the day, it was difficult to imagine that winter was fast approaching this northern land.
Johns Hopkins Inlet was relatively clear of ice today and Chief Mate Jeff Kalbach piloted the Sea Lion to within .78 mile of the face of Johns Hopkins Glacier. We had quite an impressive perspective from that distance. Hundreds of harbor seals still dotted the icebergs below the face of the glacier. We heard the "white thunder" from several calvings, but didn't always see the splash if we weren't watching closely.
What did we learn about bears today? Well, we "visited" black bears and brown bears. We learned that black bears can be brown and brown bears can be black! While looking high up on the rocky slopes, one of the naturalists spotted a large brown bear. It lumbered in and out of our vision, likely foraging for berries. Later two black bears appeared in the intertidal zone of a rocky beach. Carefully turning over the rocks, the bears checked for delicacies such as crabs and worms. They also used their claws to scrape barnacles off the rocks, searching for the bits of meat within. Tiring of their first and second courses, they ambled into the undergrowth in search of the bear equivalent of blueberry pie.
Park ranger Sue Hazlett had come on board the previous evening and had been sharing her extensive knowledge of Glacier Bay with us throughout the day. In the afternoon, while transiting across to the other side of the bay, she gave an interesting and informative slide presentation about the underwater life of Glacier Bay. It provided a unique insight into a seldom-seen world. Sue is currently working on a Ph.D. in Marine Biology at the University of Alaska at Fairbanks.
At South Marble Island we experienced the sights, sounds, and smells of a Northern (Steller) sea lion haul-out site. Most, if not all, of the animals here are males that are either too old or too young to defend a territory. Big bulls could be seen alongside young ones. Instead of the usual hot chocolate and schnapps, Bartender Ryan Robinson served glasses of cool seabreezes on the bow. People had stripped off outer layers of warm clothes and had come out in shorts and T-shirts to celebrate this extraordinary day. A couple more tufted puffins were sighted here along with many other seabirds that are wrapping up the nesting season on this busy, isolated island.
The Sea Lion docked at Bartlett Cove during dinner. Afterwards we had a chance to stretch our legs on a quick walk around the forest loop trail and/or to visit the gift shop and display area in the lodge. There was also a slide presentation by one of the park naturalists. During our short stay here a few people happened upon a porcupine in the middle of the road, while others saw a black bear down the beach.
Tufted puffins, glaciers, black and brown bears, Steller sea lions, mountain goats, harbor seals and a porcupine -- where else can one see such sights in a day? There is one more phenomenon that many hope to see when they journey north to Alaska. For most it is merely an unrealized dream. When darkness fell another visual treat awaited the hearty traveler. Twinkling spears of whitish green light patterns colored the night sky. Yes, above, the Sea Lion passengers were privileged to observe a light show very few people are lucky enough enjoy in their lifetime. A mostly sunny day was followed by a delightful evening with a cloudless sky. These ideal conditions gave the guests the perfect opportunity to ooooh and aaaah to a spectacular display of the Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis). Avid stargazers also picked out the constellations of Cassiopeia and the Big Dipper. The North Star was located in the middle of the auroral show. It was a fitting conclusion to this exceptional day. Today was the northernmost extent of our expedition. Now we are headed south and in a few days we will say "farewell" to Alaska.
