July 26 - Last day in Glacier Bay

 

July 26 – Last day in the park

I was up early as usual this morning and guess what … it was raining.  Harder rain than the last couple days.  No bear sightings this morning.

 

Sea Life headed out early at 7am so that they could get back to Bartlett Cove for fuel and then on to Juneau this afternoon.  They have a long run today.  Ted and Jeanie fly home early tomorrow morning they all want an afternoon and evening to do a bit of tourist stuff and have a farewell dinner in town.   The photo below is in front of the Lamphugh glacier.   It was fun to have them with the group and the Magic team bids them farewell, wishes them well, and hopes to see them again on the water soon.  They have a 32 ft. Bayliner so I’m sure our paths will cross at some point.

 

Magic’s crew (except for me) slept in.   Our plan is to do a bit more exploring in the park before heading out, and hope to see a whale show somewhere today.  The forecast for Icy Strait is 10 knot winds and 1-2 foot seas today.  Tomorrow the forecast is for 15 knot winds and 3+ foot winds; I vote we cross over today but I may be outvoted.

 

Glacier bay is an amazing place.  It is very had to believe that only 250 years ago this entire area was covered in ice.  We’ve had a great time in the park but I will say that it is prettier when you can actually see the hill tops and the hanging glaciers.  And with the sun out the glaciers really glisten.

 

On our way south we stopped to see the Sea Lions on N and S Marble Islands.  Lots and lots, likely a hundred or more of them.  They were making lots of noise and smelling up the channel.  Tom, we found the one that ate your salmon, okay maybe not Tom’s, but someone clearly lost their catch.  The line and dodger are hanging from his mouth now, the hook likely still in his stomach.  Or was that the latest in Sea Lion jewelry …. a red and sliver flasher to attract the girls.

We also spotted a couple Puffin hanging out near the Sea Lion island.   Actually the N and S Marble Islands are sanctuaries for the Sea Lion and many nesting birds.

 

Puffin Up

                                      Puffin Down

 

Sea Lion Karaoke Lounge

 

 

We had a long day of cruising.  Kat and Shawn both took naps, and I worked on this blog, and did some other ‘work’ that I needed to get some attention.  Glen well he drove all day.    

 

We decided to stop for the night at Swanson harbor.  We tied to the dock and put the dinghy down.  Crab pot down, with fingers crossed.  My special Eagle buddy from 2013 was not waiting for us on the beach. 

  

We were talking this evening to the Captain of the m/v Ha (from Florida), a 63 ft. Nordhaven, and he told us that they are headed into Glacier Bay for the next 7 days.  They got lucky and did the 48-hour advance notice call and were able to get a 7-day permit.  He also told us that they were in Tracey Arm about a week ago and witnessed the glacier calf about 1/3 of its face all at once.  Apparently it put up a 12-foot standing wave that ran down the channel.  That calving would have been great to watch but I’m not sure I would have liked the resulting wall of water coming at us.  We’ve heard other stories this summer about the cruise ships (the big ones and some of the smaller ones) not going into Tracey due to too much ice this summer.  We are planning to go into Tracey within the next two weeks.  Time will tell.  

Checked the crab pot before dark, one keeper.  Yippee.