Today we awoke early in Glacier Bay and gathered on the bow as we approached the Johns Hopkins Glacier. Low clouds and mist moved in and out of the mountains around us and stayed close throughout the day. After breakfast, we found ourselves at Margerie and Grand Pacific Glaciers at the northernmost end of the bay before we started heading the sixty-five miles south to Bartlett Cove at the park entrance. Along the way, we spotted brown bears, humpback whales, sea otters, and harbor seals. A stop at South Marble Island was a great opportunity for birding, where we got a look at tufted puffins, pelagic cormorants, marbled murrelets, and many others. We finished our day with a post-dinner hike on the trails at Bartlett Cove – a lovely way to end a beautiful experience in the park!
9/4/2024
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National Geographic Quest
Kelp Bay and Hidden Falls
It was drizzling a bit as we made our way to the scenic anchorage at Kelp Bay. Through the drizzle, we were excited to see a sow brown bear with her two cubs fishing for salmon in the stream! It was a fantastic start to an amazing day. Our guests went on some beautiful hikes through the dense temperate rainforest, which had the fresh scent of rain and evergreens. One of the hikes led to a muskeg and a huge beaver pond. It was worth the effort to get there. During lunch, we repositioned National Geographic Quest to a bay near Hidden Falls where there is a salmon hatchery. At the hatchery, the air buzzed with activity as brown bears, Steller sea lions, and birds feasted on the salmon schooling at the fish ladder. The massive bears of varying ages and sizes stood poised to strike at the wriggling fish. They snatch their prey in their powerful paws and jaws. This time of year, the bears are hyper focused on feeding, so they can replenish their reserves before their winters sleep. Our viewing of the bears was a thrilling reminder of nature’s raw and untamed beauty.