Glacier Bay National Park is one of the largest intact wilderness ecosystems in North America. From deep below the surface of the sea up to the highest peaks, an extensive area is protected for all living species. This park is famous not for only its incredible vistas and spectacular tidewater glaciers, but also the abundant wildlife including many top predators. Today was a day of two parts, and we got to experience all of these things and much more.
For the first part of the day, we explored the upper bay, the land of ice and rock. We awoke to cloudy skies and the presence of glaciers. These rivers of ice flow down from a high mountain range hidden in the patchy clouds. The glacier was incredibly active today, with repeated calving events. Huge towers of ice, some nearly 200 feet high, plunged into the sea creating massive splashes and booming sounds. As the morning progressed, the skies cleared and it was time to move on.
Our second half of the day was focused on the wildlife of Glacier Bay, and luckily it all took place under blue skies and warm sunshine. The birdlife was incredible, with clouds of kittiwakes, some bald eagles and many comical puffins. Sea lions, harbor seals and sea otters were also abundant, each living in a slightly different habitat. Mountain goats were spotted as tiny dots on the highest peaks, but luckily a number were quite low on Gloomy Knob.
A definite highlight had to be our experience at a small salmon stream. A brown bear was spotted eating in the grass and soon we realized she had a small cub. For many minutes we watched the two of them interact and play. Down the beach, a much larger bear was spotted coming towards the stream. This bear has had a great summer for sure. The mother bear started to appear a bit nervous and she disappeared with her cub into the bushes. Almost instantly, a wolf walked out of the woods to our amazement. This single dark wolf put on quite a show and even threw back its head and howled a few times. What an incredible thrill to see these top predators so close to each other in plain view.
Glacier Bay National Park certainly was at its finest today, from the stunning scenery to the calving glaciers to the magnificent megafauna.
