There’s too much scenery!
Linda
It’s hard to adequately describe the scenery and wildlife we saw today. Linda’s quote summarizes the idea that you simply can’t take it all in and you can’t adequately describe the scenes. We probably took 200 pictures but can’t do the place justice. Whales in Bartlett Cove while still at anchor, sea otters, Steller sea lions, tufted puffins, kittiwakes, red-necked phalaropes, murrelets, murres, guillemots, and mountain goats are examples of the wildlife. One of the birds I got a kick out of was the marbled murrelet. Typically these small birds dive as we approach them. Sometimes, however, they would try to take off but seem to have a lot of trouble, their bellies skipping like a stone on the water until they get enough speed to stay airborne.
Glacier Bay is surrounded by enormous snow capped mountains, the tallest being Mt. Fairweather at 15,320 feet. There are many peaks over 10,000 feet. The mountains descend steeply into deep waters of the bay. As we approached the north end of Glacier Bay the water started changing color to a light jade due to ground up rock, glacial till, from the glaciers slowly grinding away at the rock. Like Yosemite, the glaciers made this place what it is. As we got further north, icebergs started becoming a navigational hazard.
During the day we collected several samples for my research on plastic and ended up anchoring in Reid Inlet, the most northerly overnight anchorage. What a surprise awaited us in Reid Inlet. The waters of Glacier Bay were glassy calm but, as we turned into Reid Inlet, the wind picked up to at least 20 kts and there were significant swells coming up the bay. The source of the wind is temperature differences between air over Reid glacier and air over the water. After searching for more than an hour for a suitable spot, we set out 250 feet of chain in about 60 feet of water. We held solid for the night.
Mountains on the East Side of Glacier Bay
Reid Glacier from our Anchorage
The Grand Pacific Glacier at Sunset (Reid Inlet)
July 4, 2011, Monday
After breakfast we headed straight up Tarr Inlet to view two of the large glaciers: the Margerie, and the Grand Pacific. Not far out we encountered the Island Princess, a cruise ship that called to give us a heads-up that they would be turning in our direction. Naturally I made a course change myself in order to minimize the impact of their wake. They also provided a weather forecast which we were unable to obtain because VHF doesn’t reach this far up the bay – Glacier Bay is about 65 miles long.
For the last several miles we had Hobbit running at idle speed because of all the ice in the water. There weren’t many ice bergs like at Tracy Arm, there was just lots of broken up ice which could still damage Hobbit if hit hard. While I avoided everything I could, we still had some ice bounce off our hull.
The two glaciers are totally different. The Margerie is the classical glacier you see in all the pictures and on TV. It is about 200 feet high and white or blue-white except at the edges where rocky debris is present. We could regularly hear large booms from the ice cracking. Occasionally we would see icebergs calving and subsequently feel the swell as the wave it generated reached us. The face of the Grand Pacific glacier, on the other hand, is almost totally covered in rocky debris and from the water isn’t even recognizable as a glacier unless you look closely.
Margerie Glacier Calving – the Splash is about 30 Feet High
The Diamond Princess Gives a Sense of Scale
Arctic Tern Resting on Iceberg
July 5, 2011, Tuesday
We spent the night anchored in Blue Mouse Cove. I took the dinghy to shore first thing in the morning to study the deciduous brush which makes up much of the forest under story. Fortunately I got back to Hobbit just before a cinnamon colored black bear came out on the beach to forage. The rest of the day was rain almost constantly and the wind was high enough to be annoying although not hazardous. From Blue Mouse Cove we moved over to North Sandy Cove and anchored for the night. We were the first boat there but a total of 7 boats straggled in and spent the night.
Black Bear in Blue Mouse Cove
Hobbit in Blue Mouse Cove
North Sandy Cove
July 6, 2011, Wednesday
Our main objective for today was to collect at least two more samples for my research project on plastics. One sample was taken up Muir Inlet (named after John Muir) where I had to dodge pieces of ice. Ice made a second sample further north in Muir Inlet out of the question. We took a second sample near the center of Glacier Bay then headed to Bartlett Cove for the night.
Bartlett Cove at Sunset
July 7, 2011, Thursday
GBNP has a wide variety of programs to entertain and educate visitors. This morning we took a 3 hour nature walk with one of the rangers. While I learned some interesting facts, I was somewhat disappointed in the quality of the dialogue. It turns out that the ranger was an English major who was hired because she speaks fluent German. She never had any training in natural history. This is hardly appropriate credentials to lead a group of tourists on a nature walk. One of the pieces of information I found interesting was how the Tlingits used carvings in trees as trail markers. Below is one that depicts an octopus.
The main activity for today was for me to give a lecture on plastics in the marine environment. The GBNP staff thought my title wasn’t catchy enough and renamed it “A Clear and Plastic Danger”. They created a flier which was posted all over the park headquarters area as well as in the nearby town. Approximately 40 people showed up including a professor from the University of Alaska. I think all went well.
Tlingit Trail Marker – an Octopus
July 8, 2011, Friday
The mood on Hobbit was melancholy as our departure from Glacier Bay meant we were now turning south and slowly heading home. Linda and I simply have no desire to leave the beauty and adventure we are finding in SE Alaska.
Our first stop after leaving Glacier Bay was Point Adolphus which is likely the best whale watching spot in the region. As we approached, we could see the whales were behaving differently than we had seen before. Instead of each whale feeding independently, the whales had formed several groups that were feeding together – they all dived and returned to the surface at about the same time. When they surfaced we could see a large number of spouts in the air simultaneously.
We were several hundred yards from one group when they dove. I got my camera ready and waited in the hopes of a good shot when they surfaced. Much to our surprise, the group we were watching suddenly surfaced about 100 feet from Hobbit. Try to imagine over a dozen 40 foot humpback whales right beside you. Awesome!! Scared Linda half to death.
In anticipation of a long shot, my 55 – 250 telephoto was on maximum zoom when the whales surfaced. In reality, I need a wide angle lens to fully capture the action. Most of the pictures below are on 55 mm because that’s as wide as I could get.
After we’d had all the whale watching excitement we could stand, we moved a few miles down the coast to spend some time fishing. I managed to catch my limit of two halibut which weighed about 10 and 15 pounds. Maybe someday I’ll catch a big one.
We had planned on spending the night at Hoonah, but decided to pull over into Flynn Cove for the night. A beautiful little spot on the south side of Icy Strait. While Linda cooked dinner, I went out on deck with my spinning rod and caught 3 pink salmon.
July 9, 2011, Saturday
Approaching Hoonah we found a likely looking fishing spot and began drifting in hopes of catching more halibut. We struck out with halibut, but I did catch two Pacific cod and another pink salmon. While fishing we were visited by a female Steller sea lion who kept circling the boat closely. Many sea lions have learned that a drifting boat may be a source of food. If I caught a fish while she was there, she would certainly have taken it from me.
A short day of only 10 miles ended with our mooring at Hoonah where we could stock up on groceries before what we believe will be an extended period of time without access to groceries. Hoonah is on the list a lot of boater’s have for stops in SE Alaska possibly because it is a Tlingit Indian village. The marina doesn’t have power for transients and water is through a leaky hose you have to pull for 200 feet. The grocery store is really expensive. We’ve done it once, but I don’t think it’s on our “must do” lists for the future.
July 10, 2011, Sunday
Another glorious day in paradise. The weather was warm and sunny as we turned south into Chatham Strait which goes down the east side of Baranoff Island. The main obstacle was the purse seiners fishing for pink salmon. These boats were everywhere.
Our goal for today was Tenakee Springs. Another one of the hot springs which are present along our journey. Unlike the Bishop Bay hot springs we visited earlier, these springs are one sex at a time. In the afternoon men have the spring from 3:00 until 6:00 then women have it from 6:00 until 9:00. A sign instructs all that nude bathing is required. Water temperature is about 108 degrees F and there is a faint smell of sulfur. Personally I liked the Bishop Bay hot spring better because it was a few degrees cooler, which meant that you could really soak, and Linda and I could go together. Linda liked Tenakee Springs better.
The town itself has a gravel road running through it. I can’t see anything that supports its existence. If you’ve ever seen the movie Popeye with Robin Williams, Tenakee Springs reminds us of Sweet Haven. If you haven’t seen the movie, we suggest you put it high on your rental list.
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