A change of scene

[mouakter13]

I recently made a quick trip to Gustavus to visit friends and ride the dayboat up Glacier Bay. A most satisfactory change of scene and — as a bonus — a wonderful change in weather: after many weeks of rain and drizzle, in mid-June there came two consecutive days of fabulous sunshine!

Wildlife sightings on the boat trip were excellent. Right at the start, there were dozens of sea otters drifting around in big rafts. There were more of them later on, too; some females with pups riding on c level contact list their bellies. Usually the pups ride with their heads near that of the mother, but one pup did it the other way around.

Humpback whales were common, cruising just below the surface and spouting; only one showed its flukes as it dove. Sea lions of all sizes, including some very small ones, loafed on the rocks of South Marble Island. Some of the big fellows must have been basking there for a while — their fur was pale and looked very dry. Way up-bay, we saw a few harbor seals. Mountain goats showed themselves on clifftops and ledges at Gloomy Knob. When a marmot was spotted, there was an intense discussion over whether it was a marmot or a wolverine; the more knowledgeable observers clarified the issue.

Partway up-bay, we saw a brown bear on a small island, moseying around near the beach. Eventually it walked into the water and calmly swam to the mainland. Later on, we saw two brown bears foraging above the tideline — probably a courting couple, as it is that season for bears. The male was big, very dark brown, a little thin and worn; the female was smaller, lighter colored, and in good condition. The male reared up and ate catkins(?) from a willow and also dug persistently in the beach for edibles.