Today we awoke to cool, pre-sunrise light with low clouds and mist at the northern end of Glacier Bay National Park. Grand Pacific and Margerie Glaciers greeted us as we got our first taste of this massive landscape carved by ice. After breakfast, we made our way from Jaw Point down Johns Hopkins Inlet. A relatively ice-free waterway allowed us to get close to the face of Johns Hopkins Glacier and watch some incredible calving along the way. Little patches of sunlight made their way through the clouds every so often. Presentations by the natural history and photo staff as well as some tasty spiked hot chocolate from the bar kept us happy as we traveled south through Glacier Bay. The weather got slowly worse, with sideways rain and wind greeting the hardy guests on the bow. Our reward, however, was our second day of orca sightings and eleven mountain goats at Gloomy Knob. After warming up inside, we all gathered on the bow again at South Marble Island to watch Steller sea lions and large colonies of seabirds, including some tufted puffins floating on the water in front of us. We enjoyed an early dinner as we pulled up along the dock in Bartlett Cove at the entrance of the park to enjoy after dinner walks in the forest and along the beach. It was a remarkable day in this incredible place!
5/5/2024
Read
National Geographic Sea Bird
Calvert Island
Early this morning, National Geographic Sea Bird anchored inside a deep protected channel of Calvert Island. The morning hours brought a slip of light, as we were immersed in the customary weather of the Pacific Northwest…a constant spring drizzle. Our morning destination would be the Hakai Institute, which is dedicated to long-term scientific research of the coastal ecosystems of the Pacific Northwest. The research focuses on understanding the intricate relationships between land, sea, and human activity. Their studies include interdisciplinary research spanning marine biology, ecology, archaeology, and climate science. Their findings and research are open to the public and shared with local communities, including fifty different Indigenous nations. Their goal is the building of relationships and, as of this year, includes Lindblad Expeditions! 2024 marks the first year our entire fleet of American flagged ships will visit the Hakai Institute while traveling through the Inside Passage on their way to Southeast Alaska. After a morning of visiting the Institute and kayaking, we divided into several different levels of hikes and went out into the constant soft rain, enjoying the chance to explore Calvert Island, definitely a unique island along the Northwest Coast.
