Glacier Bay, wild land of unsurpassed repute! We hoped for much from this watery gem of a park, and got all.
We awoke to silvery seas and skies. Riding the incoming tide, we soon came to South Marble Island. This pale rocky pile echoes with the throaty roars of sea lions, with the nasal cackle of kittiwakes, and the staccato piping of guillemots. We saw all of these creatures, but everyone had an eye peeled for the charismatic champ of the Alcidae. And here they came, bobbing in a tidy bunch, the puffins. We admired their clownish, parrot-like bills, their overstated golden eyebrows, and their orange feet. As if in answer to the puffins’ mild but undeniable goofiness came a squadron of their cousins, the murres. These birds, sleek and elegant, have a sang-froid that even the stateliest puffin will never attain.
After some time cruising, we came to Tidal Inlet, well known as a good place to find wildlife. We sailed in and had to do an abrupt about-face as killer whales surfaced behind us! Catching up with the whales, we watched them surface many times. By their limited numbers and quiet behavior, we guessed that these were the comparatively sneaky “transient” whales, the hunters of marine mammals. A good look at one male’s distinctive dorsal fin confirmed our supposition; we easily identified him as AO1, a member of a transient group. Our killer whale catalogue told us that this group was “not commonly seen in Southeast Alaska,” and that some of its members had been spotted as far away as Central California!
Goats were our next find, on their favorite perch and pasture, Gloomy Knob. How fluffy and contemplative they appear! But what now, goats of different sizes? A new species, the mini mountain goat! No, no, just kidding.
We barely had time to lower our binoculars before a new creature was spotted. A moose, gawky and grand, stood as if posing in the bay’s shallows. We made a detour toward the beast, but made a sudden stop when we saw, much closer, brown bears! A good sized sow was ambling over an open, rocky hillside, and dribbling along behind her were two tiny cubs. The cubs were cute as can be, little bouncing balls of ursine exuberance. We saw them scramble at each other, spar and tussle, then hurry on after mama.
After lunch we arrived at the end of Tar Inlet. Two great glaciers calve into the bay here: Margerie, crystalline white and blue, conforming to our notion of a proper glacier, and Grand Pacific, so black and rock-encrusted that it is hardly recognizable as glacial. We were happy to see several fine calvings from the active Margerie, as well as a few hardy creatures at home in such a rugged place, such as seals, kittiwakes and horned puffins.
Cruising back down the bay, we had time to relax after all of these interesting sights. At last, just before dinner, we reached the lower bay and Boulder Island. We went to the bow to view scores of sea otters. These animals, cute and voracious, are recent immigrants to Glacier Bay. Just ten years ago, a single otter was a remarkable sight. Now there are thousands. Numbers this high are no doubt the flush of the frontier, a “gold rush” of otters. Glacier Bay is famed for easily observed biological succession; it is interesting to see how many forms this return of life can take.
And at last, we reached Bartlett Cove, the oldest landscape on the shores of Glacier Bay. We had just a bit of time to stretch our legs along the park’s loop trail. We marveled at the forest’s mossy carpet, strewn with orchids, and heard the mellow tootling of the hermit thrush.
What a day. How happy we are to have a place like Glacier Bay, and to be here to enjoy it!
We awoke to silvery seas and skies. Riding the incoming tide, we soon came to South Marble Island. This pale rocky pile echoes with the throaty roars of sea lions, with the nasal cackle of kittiwakes, and the staccato piping of guillemots. We saw all of these creatures, but everyone had an eye peeled for the charismatic champ of the Alcidae. And here they came, bobbing in a tidy bunch, the puffins. We admired their clownish, parrot-like bills, their overstated golden eyebrows, and their orange feet. As if in answer to the puffins’ mild but undeniable goofiness came a squadron of their cousins, the murres. These birds, sleek and elegant, have a sang-froid that even the stateliest puffin will never attain.
After some time cruising, we came to Tidal Inlet, well known as a good place to find wildlife. We sailed in and had to do an abrupt about-face as killer whales surfaced behind us! Catching up with the whales, we watched them surface many times. By their limited numbers and quiet behavior, we guessed that these were the comparatively sneaky “transient” whales, the hunters of marine mammals. A good look at one male’s distinctive dorsal fin confirmed our supposition; we easily identified him as AO1, a member of a transient group. Our killer whale catalogue told us that this group was “not commonly seen in Southeast Alaska,” and that some of its members had been spotted as far away as Central California!
Goats were our next find, on their favorite perch and pasture, Gloomy Knob. How fluffy and contemplative they appear! But what now, goats of different sizes? A new species, the mini mountain goat! No, no, just kidding.
We barely had time to lower our binoculars before a new creature was spotted. A moose, gawky and grand, stood as if posing in the bay’s shallows. We made a detour toward the beast, but made a sudden stop when we saw, much closer, brown bears! A good sized sow was ambling over an open, rocky hillside, and dribbling along behind her were two tiny cubs. The cubs were cute as can be, little bouncing balls of ursine exuberance. We saw them scramble at each other, spar and tussle, then hurry on after mama.
After lunch we arrived at the end of Tar Inlet. Two great glaciers calve into the bay here: Margerie, crystalline white and blue, conforming to our notion of a proper glacier, and Grand Pacific, so black and rock-encrusted that it is hardly recognizable as glacial. We were happy to see several fine calvings from the active Margerie, as well as a few hardy creatures at home in such a rugged place, such as seals, kittiwakes and horned puffins.
Cruising back down the bay, we had time to relax after all of these interesting sights. At last, just before dinner, we reached the lower bay and Boulder Island. We went to the bow to view scores of sea otters. These animals, cute and voracious, are recent immigrants to Glacier Bay. Just ten years ago, a single otter was a remarkable sight. Now there are thousands. Numbers this high are no doubt the flush of the frontier, a “gold rush” of otters. Glacier Bay is famed for easily observed biological succession; it is interesting to see how many forms this return of life can take.
And at last, we reached Bartlett Cove, the oldest landscape on the shores of Glacier Bay. We had just a bit of time to stretch our legs along the park’s loop trail. We marveled at the forest’s mossy carpet, strewn with orchids, and heard the mellow tootling of the hermit thrush.
What a day. How happy we are to have a place like Glacier Bay, and to be here to enjoy it!
