It’s been an absolutely amazing day here in Glacier Bay National Park. This stunning landscape was entirely carved out by glaciers, and only within the last 250 years has most of the land been revealed by retreating ice. We slowly made our way up the fjord, arriving to John Hopkins Glacier by sunrise. It was a misty morning, with periodic rainfall, but the low hanging fog and clouds surrounding the massive rock walls around us made the scenery all the more dramatic. It was a perfect opportunity for photography, and our skilled photo instructors were on the bow throughout the morning to provide insight and instruction to anyone looking to advance their photographic skills. The glacier itself was very active this morning, and we watched in awe as pieces of ice nearly 200 feet high cracked off the face of the glacier and crashed down into the ocean, leaving behind a massive wake and an enormous thundering sound echoing across the rock walls. It was truly a spectacle—and one that we will never forget.
After watching the glacier for nearly an hour, National Geographic Sea Bird continued its course through Glacier Bay and we headed off to our next destinations. The temperature outside slowly rose throughout the morning, and the rain eventually let up. The result was a beautiful afternoon with wispy clouds and quick bouts of sunshine. Our next sighting was just before lunch, when our naturalists spotted bears on the shore. It turned out to be a mom with a cub, an adorable duo, scavenging around the beach for food as they begin to store up fat reserves for the oncoming winter. Just minutes later another bear came out of the woods, and we spent a good amount of time watching as this lone brown bear scoured the water’s edge for salmon.
Later in the afternoon we spotted several mountain goats at a location known as Gloomy Knob. These are amazingly dexterous animals, and to see them in their natural environment is a real treat. The action didn’t stop there though, as we made our way to South Marble Island to catch sight of hundreds of pelagic cormorants, gulls, kittiwakes, and even a great number of puffins! The birds were scattered along the rocks, with sea lions dispersed all around creating an amusing array of noises and smells that became more and more evident as we moved closer. And to end this great day, just minutes after leaving South Marble Island there were several killer whales spotted on the horizon. The Sea Bird quickly changed course, and within minutes we were surrounded on all sides by a pod of killer whales as they surfaced and even breached, several times! What an amazing end to our day in Glacier Bay–certainly a day that we will long remember!
