Glacier Bay National Park
With miles of fjords, tidewater glaciers, and the extraordinary peaks of the Saint Elias, Fairweather, and Takhinsha mountains, Glacier Bay is well deserving of its international reputation and designation as a United Nations World Heritage Site. Add to this geography, a diverse biology of marine and terrestrial animals and plants, and it is clear to see why Glacier Bay is a mandatory stop for so many who choose to explore Alaska.
Our visit began early at the park headquarters in Bartlett Cove where we met with National Park Ranger David Deyette, who joined the Sea Lion for our daylong exploration. Within minutes of embarking, we encountered a pod of seven killer whales near the Beardslee Islands. A view of the shoreline revealed a black bear foraging for food.
At South Marble Island we observed nesting colonies of various bird species and marine mammals. Cormorants, murres, pigeon guillemots, murrelets, and gulls were seen flying, feeding and resting on and around the island. Horned and tufted puffins capped the experience and clearly commanded the attention of our bird-loving guests. Even the antics and the loud, guttural calls of the Steller sea lions could not compete with these charismatic birds. A mountain goat was seen later, foraging along a narrow ledge as we sailed past Gloomy Knob. Close to the water, our goat defied tradition and seemed oblivious, or at least indifferent, to our presence. This afforded Sea Lion guests and staff an unusually long and close-up view as we drifted past the cliff.
A visit to Johns Hopkins Inlet and its namesake glacier occupied our afternoon. One of the few tidewater glaciers within the park, Johns Hopkins is anomalous in that it currently is advancing into the bay. Why this glacier advances when the overwhelming majority of Alaskan glaciers are retreating is a question that no one can yet fully explain. A close proximity to its source may play a role, or perhaps it is simply that a stable terminal moraine is protecting the glacial face from the erosive effects of ocean water. Only time and further study will tell. Bedrock geology within the inlet is as appealing if not as dramatic as the calving glaciers. Here, bold exposures reveal intrusive contacts between Tertiary plutons and older Cretaceous age sedimentary rocks. At Jaw Point, the Tarr Inlet suture zone marks the boundary between the Chugach and Alexander terranes. These two long-traveled crustal blocks are part of nearly fifty exotic terranes that make up the Alaska landmass, a land of exquisite beauty and complexity that we are only beginning to understand.
With miles of fjords, tidewater glaciers, and the extraordinary peaks of the Saint Elias, Fairweather, and Takhinsha mountains, Glacier Bay is well deserving of its international reputation and designation as a United Nations World Heritage Site. Add to this geography, a diverse biology of marine and terrestrial animals and plants, and it is clear to see why Glacier Bay is a mandatory stop for so many who choose to explore Alaska.
Our visit began early at the park headquarters in Bartlett Cove where we met with National Park Ranger David Deyette, who joined the Sea Lion for our daylong exploration. Within minutes of embarking, we encountered a pod of seven killer whales near the Beardslee Islands. A view of the shoreline revealed a black bear foraging for food.
At South Marble Island we observed nesting colonies of various bird species and marine mammals. Cormorants, murres, pigeon guillemots, murrelets, and gulls were seen flying, feeding and resting on and around the island. Horned and tufted puffins capped the experience and clearly commanded the attention of our bird-loving guests. Even the antics and the loud, guttural calls of the Steller sea lions could not compete with these charismatic birds. A mountain goat was seen later, foraging along a narrow ledge as we sailed past Gloomy Knob. Close to the water, our goat defied tradition and seemed oblivious, or at least indifferent, to our presence. This afforded Sea Lion guests and staff an unusually long and close-up view as we drifted past the cliff.
A visit to Johns Hopkins Inlet and its namesake glacier occupied our afternoon. One of the few tidewater glaciers within the park, Johns Hopkins is anomalous in that it currently is advancing into the bay. Why this glacier advances when the overwhelming majority of Alaskan glaciers are retreating is a question that no one can yet fully explain. A close proximity to its source may play a role, or perhaps it is simply that a stable terminal moraine is protecting the glacial face from the erosive effects of ocean water. Only time and further study will tell. Bedrock geology within the inlet is as appealing if not as dramatic as the calving glaciers. Here, bold exposures reveal intrusive contacts between Tertiary plutons and older Cretaceous age sedimentary rocks. At Jaw Point, the Tarr Inlet suture zone marks the boundary between the Chugach and Alexander terranes. These two long-traveled crustal blocks are part of nearly fifty exotic terranes that make up the Alaska landmass, a land of exquisite beauty and complexity that we are only beginning to understand.
