Glacier Bay National Park
It’s an awe-inspiring experience to awake, roll out of bed, and open your cabin door to find that you are face to face with a mile-wide moving wall of ice. This morning we did just that as we found ourselves at the northernmost point of our journey in Glacier Bay National Park, Margerie Glacier. Rumblings of “white thunder” broke the silence of the remote bay, acting as an Alaskan alarm clock and enticing us out of bed to view her magnificent beauty.
As we emerged from our cabins and made our way to breakfast, we were introduced to Nation Park Service Ranger David Deyette – who arrived on board the previous night to enhance our exploration of this beautiful National Park. We spent the morning exploring the many inlets and glaciers, while sliding our hardy ship, the Sea Lion, through “growlers,” the small chunks of ice that fill the water in front of actively calving glaciers.
At Gloomy Knob, a formidable outcropping of glacially carved rock, we sighted mountain goats climbing the steep rock face. We then set our course for Geike Inlet, where we discovered what was to be the wildlife highlight of the day. Our Naturalists spied the small black speck on the horizon. Second Mate Kendra Nelson expertly maneuvered the ship closer to shore, revealing a male black bear wandering along the coastline. He took almost no notice of our presence as we crept along just 300 yards off the shoreline. To the delight of all watching, he dashed into the water for a quick swim to avoid a thicket of alder!
Further along Geike Inlet, explored for only the second time this season by Lindblad ships, we caught a glimpse of white dots amongst the hemlocks. Eagles! Fourteen by our Naturalists’ count, leisurely awaiting a run of humpback salmon upon which to feast.
Our final encounter on this already amazing discovery of Glacier Bay was South Marble Island, home to a sea otter with pup, a colony of Steller sea lions, and seven species of sea birds. This rocky outpost exhibited the abundance of life in this harsh yet spectacular wilderness.
It’s an awe-inspiring experience to awake, roll out of bed, and open your cabin door to find that you are face to face with a mile-wide moving wall of ice. This morning we did just that as we found ourselves at the northernmost point of our journey in Glacier Bay National Park, Margerie Glacier. Rumblings of “white thunder” broke the silence of the remote bay, acting as an Alaskan alarm clock and enticing us out of bed to view her magnificent beauty.
As we emerged from our cabins and made our way to breakfast, we were introduced to Nation Park Service Ranger David Deyette – who arrived on board the previous night to enhance our exploration of this beautiful National Park. We spent the morning exploring the many inlets and glaciers, while sliding our hardy ship, the Sea Lion, through “growlers,” the small chunks of ice that fill the water in front of actively calving glaciers.
At Gloomy Knob, a formidable outcropping of glacially carved rock, we sighted mountain goats climbing the steep rock face. We then set our course for Geike Inlet, where we discovered what was to be the wildlife highlight of the day. Our Naturalists spied the small black speck on the horizon. Second Mate Kendra Nelson expertly maneuvered the ship closer to shore, revealing a male black bear wandering along the coastline. He took almost no notice of our presence as we crept along just 300 yards off the shoreline. To the delight of all watching, he dashed into the water for a quick swim to avoid a thicket of alder!
Further along Geike Inlet, explored for only the second time this season by Lindblad ships, we caught a glimpse of white dots amongst the hemlocks. Eagles! Fourteen by our Naturalists’ count, leisurely awaiting a run of humpback salmon upon which to feast.
Our final encounter on this already amazing discovery of Glacier Bay was South Marble Island, home to a sea otter with pup, a colony of Steller sea lions, and seven species of sea birds. This rocky outpost exhibited the abundance of life in this harsh yet spectacular wilderness.
