Glacier Bay National Park
When Captain George Vancouver sailed into the Icy Strait in southeast Alaska in 1795, the great glacier that created what is today Glacier Bay National Park had receded just slightly from its maximum southward extent during the Little Ice Age of just forty-five years before. By the time naturalist John Muir first arrived in 1879, the glacier had retreated 40 miles northward since Vancouver’s discovery. After the publishing of Muir’s Travels in Alaska, the public was captivated with the images of the expansive Alaskan scenery, the awesome power of the glaciers, and the abundance of wildlife.
Today it was we who were captivated by the grandeur, as the National Geographic Sea Lion sailed into this mystical place. Our compliment of guests, expedition staff and crew, explorers all, came to seek understanding and the wonders of the natural environment. We were greeted by a dozen humpback whales, many sea otters and sea lions at the entrance to the park. Park Ranger Mary Lou Blakelee came aboard to add interpretive expertise and local knowledge to that of our naturalist staff. Dazzling sunshine illuminated the backdrop of green hillsides enshrouded in the morning mist.
At South Marble Island we were treated to a display of northern (Steller’s) sea lions and a variety of seabirds, including common murres, puffins and gulls. The symphony of sounds was enthralling, with every creature drawing our attention, as we didn’t know where to look first.
Later we came across brown bears, mountain goats, bald eagles, more humpbacks and flocks of migrating seabirds. A young mountain goat kid was spotted, staying close to mom for nourishment and encouragement, as it learned the ways of the rugged terrain that will define its existence. A brown bear foraged in the intertidal zone at the low tide to find sustenance while it waits for the live giving salmon that are yet to return.
As we continued our voyage northward, it was if we were travelling back in time. Witnessing the dramatic changes in the landscape, bedrock was exposed by the scouring of the glacial ice and vegetation is hard pressed to re-establish its presence. The scene is eerie; and even scientific explanation does not fully rationalize the impact on us as mere humans.
Once at the head of Glacier Bay, all aboard the ship sat wrapped in the silence of the ice of Margerie Glacier. This tidewater glacier is retreating and in the process experiences calving events wherein glacial ice falls into the sea. Today was no exception! A large frontal height of glacial ice, that probably started to form as long as several hundred years ago, came crashing down in front of us, creating a huge wave that rolled gently under the hull of the National Geographic Sea Lion.
Glacier Bay National Park stands as a testament to the forces of nature. As we rejoice in its grandeur, we are humbled by its enormity and power.
