A transparent fog drifted over the still water with peek-a-boo scenes of sunny shorelines showing one of Southeast Alaska’s somber moods. Bartlett Cove in Glacier Bay is where we were joined by a National Park Service ranger and a Tlingit cultural specialist. Cruising up bay, the low cloud cover became denser until it was like glimpsing out from under a grey blanket at blue sky and ice-covered mountains far in the distance. After passing a few of the park’s 8,000 sea otters, we arrived at South Marble Island, an important nesting area for many seabirds and a haul-out for several hundred northern sea lions. Their low-pitched guttural growls mixed with the repeating sounds of kittiwake, kittiwake, kittiwake. Over 18 black oystercatchers flew around the ship, apparently finished with their nesting. Numerous glaucous-winged gull chicks stood about looking like they hadn’t picked up much knowledge in their brief lives. Although ending their nesting season, there were enough tufted puffins to please those guests who were deeply amused by the result of millions of years of precise evolutionary changes that developed a head with such a ridiculous looking bill.
Tidal Inlet is often a good place for wildlife sightings. We watched an adult brown bear walking along a gravel-covered beach for about 15 minutes. It was going through its seasonal molt that can be seen by the new dark brown hair growing in and replacing its blond, faded coat. It ambled along, not changing its course at all. Farther along the beach was a lone kayaker busily packing his boat and never looking around. An encounter seemed inevitable. At the last minute the kayaker looked up, and then grabbed a nearby stick and his cayenne pepper bear mace. The bear continued toward him as the tension increased from all of us. It was a good bear and changed its course closer to the tree line. It only glanced at the kayaker as it passed. A story about a wild but well-mannered bear, a savvy boater with a little luck, and an exciting couple of minutes for us tells a lot about how our national parks offer us so much in so many different ways, especially considering that this truly wild bear never changed its speed or intentions.
High peaks, rugged glaciers, and raw scenery filled our afternoon. Highlights included a long look at ice falling from the face of Margerie Glacier, a peek around Jaw Point to gaze upon the stunning Johns Hopkins Glacier, and a stop to look at the water gushing from under Lamplough Glacier. Bright and clear blue skies dazzled our senses until we sailed into Bartlet Cove. Dinner and a short hike topped off the day.
