Glacier Bay
Any day you can wake up near a glacier in Glacier Bay is a great day! As we emerged from our cabins, the view we had of the Margerie and Grand Pacific glaciers was breathtaking! The intermittent gentle mist and soft rain, along with the many veils of gently draped, cotton-like gray clouds, enshrouded the steep walls of this fabulous fjord. The occasional deep thunderous rumbling sounds emanating from within Margerie and Grand Pacific Glaciers was testimony to the powerful forces of nature surrounding us. These magnificent 'rivers of ice' were shaping the spectacular landscape just as they have been doing for millions of years.
Just as breakfast was announced, a brown bear was sighted along the rocky shoreline (top photo)! Binoculars glued to our eyes, we watched in complete silence (so as not to disturb it) as it walked along the shoreline. Bears love to come down to the beach at low tide, searching for tasty morsels of invertebrates, such as clams, mussels, and barnacles exposed at low tide. This bear was also turning over rocks in search of tasty tidbits such as rock crabs, worms, and beachhoppers. We watched in amazement as it searched and slurped the delicious invertebrate treats.
After breakfast we slowly made our way into the ice-choked John's Hopkins Inlet. Because this glacier calves great volumes of ice we were only able to get a distant yet spectacular view (2nd photo). Bright light shining on peaks gave us glimpses of the mountains surrounding us and the glassy-calm condition reflected the 360-degree views of incredible beauty. We also cruised near the Lamplugh Glacier, named after an English geologist who visited the bay in 1884. This is one of the bluest glaciers in Glacier Bay and it was particularly stunning under our gray skies. Throughout the morning the ever-changing light brought us incredible vistas of red, black, gray, and white rocks that had been scoured, scraped and polished by the glaciers just a little over 200 years ago. We learned from our National Park Ranger, Sue Hazlett, that John Muir, so fascinated with the idea of glaciers changing landscapes, spent 20 years of his life studying Glacier Bay. Indeed, the changes so characteristic of this very special National Park and Preserve, designated a 'living laboratory', are still intensely studied today.
Plant succession, the process of change in species composition over time, was very obvious to us as we cruised past Gloomy Knob. This very prominent dolomite formation had very little vegetation. Gloomy knob is a unique place where ancient geology meets some of the newest arrivals in the park. The mountain goats give birth to their kids on the slopes of this rock formation, where they are safe from predators, such as bears.
The weather continued to brighten, and with a very pleasant wind on our stern, we made our way into Tidal Inlet where we sighted two more brown bears - a sow and her cub. This quiet, peaceful inlet was the perfect place to quietly watch as the beautiful blond sow made her way in and out of the tall grasses, while the darker cub remained hidden. Suddenly it reared up and stood on it's hind legs, turned and accompanied its mom across the stream and gravel bed. It's always such a treat to remain completely silent while we watch the bears as we listen to some of the sounds of Alaska: rushing water from the stream and the piercing calls of several near-by black oyster catchers.
Later in the afternoon, Nan Elliott, guest lecturer from the Williams College Alumni group gave a presentation on some of her experiences and great stories about some of Alaska's wildlife. We learned about all the interesting behaviors of bears in the McNeal River Sanctuary and about life in Anchorage during winter. The fabulous photos of the bears, Iditarod dogs, life in the Bering Sea and the immense walruses found in the remote areas of Walrus Island gave us a real feeling for the wildness of Alaska!
The rather serious rain we were experiencing near South Marble Island didn't stop us from thoroughly enjoying this oasis of wildlife! The Steller (Northern) sea lions that were frolicking in the water put on quite the show - with their leaping, porpoising, somersaulting and incredible back flips! The sea lions that were hauled out on the rocks were a 'bachelor' group practicing for the next breeding season (spring 2003) with threat displays, mouth to mouth and chest to chest combats, and grumbles and growls. We were delighted to also see the wonderful tufted puffins, some flying by, and some sitting in thick vegetation outside their burrows. The nesting colonies of birds on South Marble Island may diminish over time, through plant and forest succession, as has happened on north Marble Island.
Just as we were about to start our re-cap, Neil Folsom, our expedition leader announced: "Orca! All around the ship! " What a scramble to don all our raingear and get out on deck as quickly as possible! Several were sighted right off the bow of the Sea Lion, while others, in scattered groups of 3 to 4 individuals were sighted on either side of the ship. According to Sue, our ranger, these were the 'transient' killer whales, a type that feeds on other marine mammals. Transients are morphologically and genetically different than killer whales known as fish eating 'residents'. Several Steller sea lions were also seen, and we wondered what might unfold with this new development. The natives regarded these powerful predators as 'the guardians of the sea' and we certainly got a sense of that power as we watched the very tall dorsal fins of several males slicing through the water. What a way to end our very full day!
