Glacier Bay Showtime

June 30 - July 4

Today’s post features lots of photos and videos. But first, a description from the horse’s mouth (David):
There are 3 reasons we hung at anchor all day in Couverden Bay. The first was we did not have a Permit to enter into Glacier Bay. The National Park Service limits the number of boats in Glacier Bay both to protect the animals and to make it nicer for visitors with a pass. Our third attempt to get a pass worked. The second reason at anchor was our batteries were low and the third reason was it was “blowing like stink”.

July 1 we set out from Couverden Island at 6:30 am and rounded the corner into heavy wind and 3 foot waves. We tried different angles into the wind and waves, and it just kept getting worse. Being prudent we considered various options. While we were considering it stopped getting worse and we were in fact making headway. It was a good decision to keep going as it slowly got better. We made it to a semi-protected spit on the north side of Pleasant Island, across from Gustavus.

July 2 we started out at 1:30 AM to catch the ebb tide going past Gustavus and toward the flood tide into Glacier Bay. Because of the rain and snow melt there is more water going toward the sea than coming back so the flood is often quite reduced compared to what the books expect. Alex radioed the NPS, and we entered Glacier Bay heading north until the ebb started and we stopped in Finger Bay for about 6 hours. We then continued north to Blue Mouse Cove for the night. A humpback whale came within 25 yards of the boat to welcome us at anchor.

July 3 was our glacier day. We used the weak flood to go all the way north above the 58 North Latitude parallel to the Margerie Glacier. There are many whales to see and uncountable numbers of sea otters along the way. An excursion boat left as we arrived, and we had a long lunchtime alone at the glacier face. It is noisy with creaks cracks and booms as the glacier slowly moves into the sea. We saw several small chunks fall and splash into the water while we drifted among many small icebergs. Many creatures hitchhike rides on these bergs: birds--small white gulls-- also eagles and harbor seals. A noisy fast catamaran arrived, stayed a little while with its engines off and then took folks back to Bartlett Cove. Our ice chest was replenished with bergy-bits of glacial ice. We saw 5 other glaciers from a distance and returned with the ebb to Blue Mouse Cove and the local whale.

4th of July we celebrated by traveling out to Bartlett Cove where the Park service has its headquarters and there is a resort hotel. The Glacier Bay Lodge is booked solid and is not serving food because of Covid. We did however buy showers! We tied up at the 3 hour dock and heard a good talk about the whale that was run over by a cruise ship and then the bones were turned into a skeleton that is on display right here. We’ll be anchored in the Bay for the next several nights.

On the 5th I get replaced on the boat by Kai and Ruby. I fly out of Gustavus on the plane they arrive in.