An early wakeup call by our expedition leader announced a wonderful sunrise that was not to be missed. As we emerged from our cabins, the light got better and better, illuminating Johns Hopkins Glacier with magical light. The north winds that blew for the last days have cleared up the skies, and sunrise was followed by a sunny day as we sailed through Glacier Bay National Park.
As National Geographic Sea Bird traveled over its mirrored image, we sailed into Tarr Inlet. Here we had amazing views of Margerie and Grand Pacific Glaciers. We spend enough time there to take the entire scenery in, and to compose photographs of the stunning landscape that has been cut in half by a blue river of ice.
Scanning the shorelines as we headed south, we got a short but nice view of a mother brown bear and her cub. The area known as Russell Cut, has a wide open alluvial fan, with several braided streams. The bears splashed back and forth through the silty waters, until we could see the mother successfully catching a salmon, before it disappeared back into the young willow forest.
Gloomy Knob is a mountain that has very little vegetation, and it is ideal habitat for mountain goats. We scanned the steep ledges, and found several of these creamy white animals, blending quite well with their environment. At this time of the year, mountain goats tend to gain elevation, and find themselves better protected from predators on the most inaccessible cliffs.
As a final highlight, we got a nice look at Steller sea lions, tufted puffins, common murres, and other interesting creatures, as we sailed near South Marble Island.
