Glacier Bay National Park
5/7
The whole day today has been cruising from Sitka to our big day tomorrow in Glacier Bay National Park. We got to see some more of the previously mentioned Dahls Porpoises, they are amazing, making even a common dolphin look like a slug. The way that they move through the water, you would think that they had jet engines or something. It really does amaze me at how an animal can control not only their body, but their environment like these ones do. That and the way they look like mini-Orca’s of sorts is just very entertaining to watch. The other animals that we got to watch today was the humpback whales, there were a couple of them using the bottom of the boat and their bubbles to control a school of fish, so that they could have some lunch. It was an interesting thing to watch, I had heard about whales using bubbles to make a type of net to control fish that they are stalking, but this is the first time I have seen that.
I’m looking forward to the big day, tomorrow. This is the premier event for this boat, supposedly the best thing we see on any trips all year long. I’m ready to check it out.
5/8
Today we woke up at the entrance to Glacier Bay National Park. The scenery is very much like many of the high country parts of Colorado that I visited, the dirt is an almost sandy texture and grey in color. The sea water is the same type of grey color as well. There are many mountains and very interesting islands. The highest mountain in the park was visible earlier today, Mt….at a little over 15 thousand feet is the tallest I have ever laid eyes on, it consumes a big part of the skyline. We made it up into the bay to the Muir Glacier, a beautiful piece of ice falling into the ocean. I guess the reason that they look the way they do is that the water is so much warmer than the air, so the bottom of the glacier is melting faster than the top. This is why it looks like a sponge from the top, because ice is falling through to the sea water underneath the ice shelf.
It’s pretty interesting to be on a boat going through water with a bunch of ice floating around, the way it pushes out of the way and leaves a little trail, but then the ice forms back around the boat like it never passed through. My bed is right up against the bottom of the boat and it sounds pretty crazy to listen to the ice scrape along the side of the boat.
After we went to the glacier for the grand view, and it was grand, we spent some time by the lodge and campground at the Glacier Bay. I got to go on my first good hike up here in Alaska, it was so nice to get out. The spruce trees and scenery are great very cool, I’m looking forward to getting to know the area better in the future. I will be back twice more before I head back home, so I’ll get to know it a little bit better.
