DAY SEVEN
As we made our way south to Bartlett Cove Visitors Center at Glacier Bay National Park, we kept our eyes peeled for whales. We did see one humpback who gifted us with a tail fluke in the air, but it didn’t breach. We’ve seen fewer than a half dozen whales on this cruise – some simply spouting at a distance. Our park ranger Kelly told us that the humpback numbers are off by nearly 40%, and researchers aren’t quite sure why. As far as wildlife viewing, the lack of whale sightings was my one disappointment of the trip, but of course, that’s no fault of the cruise company. We did see another brown bear on the shoreline and plenty of otters, who surprising swim in open water.
The rest of the morning was spent listening to the personal story of Meimi, our Tlingit cultural guide, and the story of Glacier Bay National Park from ranger Kelly. Kelly also swore in all the new junior rangers (including one grandma and two crew members). While my kids are too old to really participate in the program, parents reported their kids really loving completing the booklets and having this educational component on the trip.
After lunch, we did what only 5% of visitors to Glacier Bay do – set foot on land! Most of the passengers – including my family – took a short, 1-mile loop hike with ranger Kelly and were treated to a fantastic sight – a mother moose and her calf! We watched them feed around a lily pad-covered pond for nearly a half hour. We also visited the Tlingit Tribal House, a magnificent structure used as a gathering place. Both the outside facade and the interior wall display colorful carved murals that each tell a specific story. In addition, there are four clan totem poles inside that also tell stories. Here’s the thing: the Tlingit people don’t share their stories readily. Out of respect, each clan only tells their stories. Tlingit children grow up practicing these stories; if they make a mistake, they must start again from the beginning. With no written language until the 1960s, the Tlingit relied on these oral stories to preserve their history and traditions. I’d like to be able to tell you what the stories were here, but I don’t know. I do know that the carvings are worth seeing.
KidTripster Tip: Don’t miss taking a look at the skeleton of a humpback whale named Snow, who died after being hit by a cruise ship. The size of these mammals is truly remarkable.
After the informal captain’s dinner, Maggie distributed certificates to the new inductees into the Killer Whale Club (polar plunge), the largest number of inductees that the Chichagof had ever seen. We also were treated to a wonderful video with photos from the cruise. It’s at that moment that we realized just how much we’d done in the past week and with whom. This cruise – more than any other that my family has sailed on – really had a sense of camaraderie. Sailing with other families does make a difference. I’m confident that my 15-year-old son, especially, would not have enjoyed this cruise as much if it hadn’t been shared with kids his own age.
