When dawn broke on National Geographic Quest, she found herself deep amongst the towering peaks and narrow fjords of Glacier Bay National Park. The early morning light brought us to Johns Hopkins Glacier, which stood steadfast with brilliant blue streaks of compact ice illuminated by the soft light of a moody Alaska day. We sailed back down the inlet, observing bears at Russell Cut, mountain goats at Gloomy Knob, and the diverse species that call South Marble Island home. Evening brought us to Bartlett Cove, headquarters of GBNP. We docked and took a stroll through towering Sitka spruce forests while birds chirped overhead, and the sounds of humpback whale spouts echoed across the cove. What a magical day indeed at southeast Alaska’s crown jewel, Glacier Bay National Park.
- Daily Expedition Reports
- 13 Jul 2022
Glacier Bay National Park, 7/13/2022, National Geographic Quest
- Aboard the National Geographic Quest
- Alaska
Max Geise, Assistant Expedition Leader
Max Geise is an accomplished outdoor professional born and raised in Denver, Colorado. He grew up skiing, biking, hiking, camping, and fishing in the Rocky Mountains, and still enjoys watching thunderstorms break on the plains or the sunset over snow...
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We awoke to a wall of ice towering outside of the ship. Sometime in the night we anchored alongside the monumental Johns Hopkins Glacier. Along the base of the glacier, hundreds of harbor seals lounged on the rafts of ice, and stunning mountain views accompanied the impressive natural feature for which the park was named. After eating breakfast with a glacial blue backdrop, we pulled anchor and began our exploration of the park in earnest. We visited several more glaciers, including prime examples of tidewater, hanging, and beached varieties; we also observed large numbers of sea otters and surf scoters. After lunch we turned our focus to wildlife and were rewarded with views of mountain goats on Gloomy Knob, as well as a brown bear excavating a comfortable resting spot on the beach. Later we were treated to a surprise concert by one of our guests (award winning musician Jim Peterick). We wrapped up the day with a visit to South Marble Island where dozens of tufted puffins and large rafts of Steller sea lions gave excellent views.
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