When we were roused from our sleep this morning, our ship was already within the confines of Glacier Bay National Park. One of the premier national parks in the country, Glacier Bay is an icon of wilderness in Alaska. By this point, we had already been joined by our National Park ranger, Nicole. She would be with us the entire day to add to the narration of both the human and natural history of the park.
Our first stop was South Marble Island, home to a colony of about 1,000 Steller sea lions, as well as a myriad of breeding seabirds. Guests onboard delighted in watching the sea lions bickering with each other, and picking out the puffins, murres and kittiwakes flying around the ship.
It was a typical Alaskan day with rain and heavy cloud cover, but as we cruised deeper into the park, the rain abated. Slowly, the cloud cover rose like a giant curtain unveiling a grand vista of the incredible landscape around us. John Muir said of this place, “It is like an unfinished Yosemite.” The walls of rock surrounding us were sculpted by the force of ice moving through the fiord we now traversed. Everywhere there is evidence of the glacier that once traveled along our route.
Aboard National Geographic Sea Lion, we were able to explore the nooks and bays dotting the coastline, giving us close views of the inhabitants of the park. A bear strolled along the beach at Tidal Inlet. Mountain goats seemed to defy gravity on the cliffs of Gloomy Knob. We traveled along the shore always vigilant for whatever wildlife we could find, and then there came a sighting that even the most seasoned of our naturalists did not expect. First we saw one and then two black wolves wandering the shore. Everyone was silent – who would risk being the one who spooked these rare and beautiful animals? We watched at they explored a gravel bar created by a stream making its way to the ocean. Finally, they wandered into some bushes, gone from our view but not our memories. This is a land that truly is wild, and we are awed by the forces that created it and the tenacity of the animals that call it home.
Then it was onward to Marjorie Glacier with much anticipation. Before us lay a mile-wide wall of ice, its massive frozen spires rising 250 feet into the sky. We watched and hoped for the moment when the mighty glacier lets forth a piece of itself, crashing into the water below. When it happened, the sound of the glacier was as impressive as the sight of the glacier. A loud crack, and then a thunderous rumble of ice returned to the sea, and hopefully, will once again start the cycle of water to ice.
On the journey back to the entrance of the park, we passed otters, seals, whales and more ice. At the park entrance, we disembarked and stretched our legs on a pleasant walk through a wooded wetland. An enjoyable end to a wonderful day.
