Glacier Bay National Park
After welcoming our National Park Ranger Janene Driscoll on board, expedition leader Larry Prussin made sure we started our visit to Glacier Bay bright and early. At 6 am his soothing voice coaxed us out of our bunks and onto the bow of the National Geographic Sea Lion. Bundled up to weather the cold mists of morning, we were stunned to witness brown bears along the shore, feeding on a humpback whale carcass. The tide was favorable, so we got quite close and caught a good look at bears having breakfast. Having provided food for bears, wolves, eagles and raven for several months already, the whale carcass did not look too appetizing, but the bears seemed to enjoy it thoroughly and worked hard to drag pieces of it out of the water and up on shore.
Having enjoyed bears and breakfast, we made our way North toward John Hopkins Glacier. As we glided through the fjords, clouds lifted and revealed the first dusting of new snow on higher peaks. The sun reflected hues of white, gray and blue, illuminating the craggy face of John Hopkins Glacier. We stood in awe, listening to the thunder of the ice working its way toward the water, calving into the fjord and rocking the world of the harbor seals molting below. We watched, listened and marveled as icy shards the size of city blocks broke off the glacier and thundered into the milky green waters below. After taking in the sights and sounds of the John Hopkins and Margerie Glaciers, we started to explore the Southern fjords of Glacier Bay.
On our way, the youngsters on board sat in rapt attention, listening to Janene’s story of how seals are born to swim. Thoroughly engaged, they proceeded to learn about Glacier Bay and earn their junior ranger badges. As we approached the sheer cliffs of Gloomy Knob, we gathered in the sun to gaze and wonder how mountain goats manage to master their treacherous habitat. The final highlight of the day was South Marble Island, a small island, which is home to hundreds of sea lions and thousands of seabirds. Taking in the abundance of life in Glacier Bay we settled for the night, wondering what beauty we might encounter tomorrow…
