Glacier Bay National Park
Early this morning, National Park Service interpreter Adrianna Cahill joined the Sea Lion to share with us the dynamic story of Glacier Bay National Park. We embarked on a captivating journey back in time through a place that also provides ongoing insight and connections to the present and future. This magical place is known for tidewater glaciers, native Tlingit history, wildlife, biological significance, wilderness and solitude, and majestic mountain scenery. These special features make these 3.3 million acres worth protecting.
Those who were out on deck saw sea otters, marbled murrelets, and a black bear before breakfast. The bear trumped the morning stretch class for a few minutes. We stopped at South Marble Island, which was busy with nesting seabirds and the antics of Steller (Northern) sea lions, which use the rocks as a haul-out area. Tufted and horned puffins were seen here, along with pigeon guillemots, pelagic cormorants, black-legged kittiwakes, common murres, and black oystercatchers.
On the wide sloping ridge above Tidal Inlet, two brown bears were spotted wandering amongst the low greenery. While scanning around the area, a group of mountain goats appeared in our binocular views. Through the spotting scope, details of the bears and the goats and their behavior could be observed. Moving on to the ancient dolomitic marble mass known as Gloomy Knob, more mountain goats were found camouflaged in the shadows and grayness of the cracks and ledges. Kids born in the spring were resting alongside their nannies. Although sparse in vegetation, the steep slopes above the bay offer the goats protection from predators.
The clouds parted to reveal dramatic mountains as we moved up-bay. These are the high mountains from which the glaciers emanate. We learned that Glacier Bay was quite a different place when John Muir visited in 1879. We passed his campsite on the southern tip of Russell Island where he described an ice wall behind him. The Sea Lion was able to cruise beyond this point since the ice that advanced during the Little Ice Age has continued its retreat and now sits about fifteen miles up-bay at Margerie and Grand Pacific Glaciers, the point where we turned around today.
By the time we reached the end of Tarr Inlet, the sun was shining through the ephemeral ice pinnacles (seracs) cresting the face of Margerie Glacier. Before long, these frozen columns will topple and crumble from the glacier to melt into the sea – just another stage in the continuous hydrologic cycle. At the base of the glacier we noticed a roiling, silty meltwater stream. Further over there was a harbor seal on an iceberg facing an immature bald eagle. We could not resist peeking into Johns Hopkins Inlet for the splendid view of the mountains and Johns Hopkins Glacier – one of the most stunning in all of Southeast Alaska.
Throughout the day, we were enthralled by the diverse layers and scales of patterns, shapes, textures, and hues in our surroundings. Whether looking at the distant, big picture or the intimate microcosm, we found intricate beauty and wonder in nature.
Early this morning, National Park Service interpreter Adrianna Cahill joined the Sea Lion to share with us the dynamic story of Glacier Bay National Park. We embarked on a captivating journey back in time through a place that also provides ongoing insight and connections to the present and future. This magical place is known for tidewater glaciers, native Tlingit history, wildlife, biological significance, wilderness and solitude, and majestic mountain scenery. These special features make these 3.3 million acres worth protecting.
Those who were out on deck saw sea otters, marbled murrelets, and a black bear before breakfast. The bear trumped the morning stretch class for a few minutes. We stopped at South Marble Island, which was busy with nesting seabirds and the antics of Steller (Northern) sea lions, which use the rocks as a haul-out area. Tufted and horned puffins were seen here, along with pigeon guillemots, pelagic cormorants, black-legged kittiwakes, common murres, and black oystercatchers.
On the wide sloping ridge above Tidal Inlet, two brown bears were spotted wandering amongst the low greenery. While scanning around the area, a group of mountain goats appeared in our binocular views. Through the spotting scope, details of the bears and the goats and their behavior could be observed. Moving on to the ancient dolomitic marble mass known as Gloomy Knob, more mountain goats were found camouflaged in the shadows and grayness of the cracks and ledges. Kids born in the spring were resting alongside their nannies. Although sparse in vegetation, the steep slopes above the bay offer the goats protection from predators.
The clouds parted to reveal dramatic mountains as we moved up-bay. These are the high mountains from which the glaciers emanate. We learned that Glacier Bay was quite a different place when John Muir visited in 1879. We passed his campsite on the southern tip of Russell Island where he described an ice wall behind him. The Sea Lion was able to cruise beyond this point since the ice that advanced during the Little Ice Age has continued its retreat and now sits about fifteen miles up-bay at Margerie and Grand Pacific Glaciers, the point where we turned around today.
By the time we reached the end of Tarr Inlet, the sun was shining through the ephemeral ice pinnacles (seracs) cresting the face of Margerie Glacier. Before long, these frozen columns will topple and crumble from the glacier to melt into the sea – just another stage in the continuous hydrologic cycle. At the base of the glacier we noticed a roiling, silty meltwater stream. Further over there was a harbor seal on an iceberg facing an immature bald eagle. We could not resist peeking into Johns Hopkins Inlet for the splendid view of the mountains and Johns Hopkins Glacier – one of the most stunning in all of Southeast Alaska.
Throughout the day, we were enthralled by the diverse layers and scales of patterns, shapes, textures, and hues in our surroundings. Whether looking at the distant, big picture or the intimate microcosm, we found intricate beauty and wonder in nature.
