Glacier Bay
Two young moose stood sentry on the shoreline while sea otters dotted the waters near Bartlett Cove as the Sea Bird slipped away from the dock early this morning. National park ranger Amanda McCutcheon accompanied us on our northward journey of discovery in the world heritage site, Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve.
The growls of Steller sea lions hauled out on smooth rocks announced our arrival at South Marble Island. This barren-looking and rather small islet is a breeding colony for a surprising number of seabirds, and we delighted in viewing a dozen tufted puffins in the water off the bow as well as several downy gray chicks of newly hatched glaucous-winged gulls on the highest ridge. The edges of the cliff are home to black-legged kittiwakes that nest on tiny ledges. They lay pointed eggs that will roll in a circle rather than off their precarious perches. Sharp wild cries of gulls and the bright beeping sounds of black oyster-catchers in the intertidal zone add to the cacophony of this exciting scene.
Near the mouth of Tidal Inlet, a mature coastal brown bear grazing on sedges and grasses near the shoreline caught our attention. Within the next few weeks, migrating salmon will return to the nearby streams to spawn. The waiting bears will begin to catch and consume these anadromous fish to accumulate the fat they will need to carry them through the long winter months of fasting in their dens.
Just a bit further up the bay, we moved slowly near the deep glacier-cut shore of Gloomy Knob, a place where mountain goats are fond of bringing their kids. There our watchful group was graced with close-up views of these agile animals making their way across absurdly steep slopes.
Following the harbor seal pupping season, Johns Hopkins inlet has been opened to tour boat traffic (that’s us) in the past week. We are fortunate indeed to view the majesty of this most impressive glacier and to see and hear it calving as this massive river of ice advances toward us.
As our long and wonderful day of viewing wildlife and glacial landforms comes to a close, we can reflect on 9 year old Sarah Gallope’s thoughts of icy scenes...
Ginormous
Landscape is beautiful, (you)
Are going to love it
Come see for yourself
Ice here and ice there
Ecology is a different word like ones I heard on the cruise
Ready, come see now.
Two young moose stood sentry on the shoreline while sea otters dotted the waters near Bartlett Cove as the Sea Bird slipped away from the dock early this morning. National park ranger Amanda McCutcheon accompanied us on our northward journey of discovery in the world heritage site, Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve.
The growls of Steller sea lions hauled out on smooth rocks announced our arrival at South Marble Island. This barren-looking and rather small islet is a breeding colony for a surprising number of seabirds, and we delighted in viewing a dozen tufted puffins in the water off the bow as well as several downy gray chicks of newly hatched glaucous-winged gulls on the highest ridge. The edges of the cliff are home to black-legged kittiwakes that nest on tiny ledges. They lay pointed eggs that will roll in a circle rather than off their precarious perches. Sharp wild cries of gulls and the bright beeping sounds of black oyster-catchers in the intertidal zone add to the cacophony of this exciting scene.
Near the mouth of Tidal Inlet, a mature coastal brown bear grazing on sedges and grasses near the shoreline caught our attention. Within the next few weeks, migrating salmon will return to the nearby streams to spawn. The waiting bears will begin to catch and consume these anadromous fish to accumulate the fat they will need to carry them through the long winter months of fasting in their dens.
Just a bit further up the bay, we moved slowly near the deep glacier-cut shore of Gloomy Knob, a place where mountain goats are fond of bringing their kids. There our watchful group was graced with close-up views of these agile animals making their way across absurdly steep slopes.
Following the harbor seal pupping season, Johns Hopkins inlet has been opened to tour boat traffic (that’s us) in the past week. We are fortunate indeed to view the majesty of this most impressive glacier and to see and hear it calving as this massive river of ice advances toward us.
As our long and wonderful day of viewing wildlife and glacial landforms comes to a close, we can reflect on 9 year old Sarah Gallope’s thoughts of icy scenes...
Ginormous
Landscape is beautiful, (you)
Are going to love it
Come see for yourself
Ice here and ice there
Ecology is a different word like ones I heard on the cruise
Ready, come see now.
