July 14, 2006

Glacier Bay National Park

Daily Adventure Update- Submitted by the Spirit of Discovery - currently on our Wilderness Inside Passage voyage in Alaska.

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What the Ice Reveals . . .

Be prepared for a full day of sightseeing in spectacular Glacier Bay with a National Park Ranger and Huna cultural interpreter on board. Birders will delight at the variety of species that are found in these waters and we have good chances for an array of wildlife encounters. Mountain goats, harbor seals, brown and black bears are all at home here, and in recent years, moose sightings at the southern end of the bay have become surprisingly more frequent.

Throughout the day, we’ll see some of the most majestic sights of our tour. The Marble Islands are just one of the areas designated for protection of nesting birds and no natural predators live here. Because of their isolated geography, it is an ideal site to conduct studies. Research on the traditional native practice of harvesting gull eggs, and the interactions between different species continue to provide researchers with new insight.

We will arrive at the head of Tarr Inlet where the Grand Pacific and Margerie Glaciers make their great journeys from mountains to the water’s edge. While you look at these giant rivers of ice, think about what Captain George Vancouver or John Muir thought when they stumbled upon these giant faces that took up most of what is now Glacier Bay.

Following Tarr Inlet, we will continue our glacier viewing and wildlife encounters as we make our way back down the West Arm of the bay.

Throughout the last 200 years, many glaciers in Glacier Bay have undergone massive retreat. Over 65 miles of new terrain have been uncovered, inspiring much international research concerning plant and animal succession and adaptability.

Posted by Leigh on July 14, 2006 10:02 AM

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