Day 57: Sawmill Bay to Shag Cove

We made it to Glacier Bay! You are probably wondering if it lives up to the hype, and so far so good! This morning we left Sawmill Bay under cloudy skies at 5:40 AM. A humpback whale saw us off.

Our shrimp pot was empty again (sigh), but at least that made it quick and easy to put away. Icy Strait was fairly calm, which was nice. As we approached the entrance to Glacier Bay the otters were everywhere - we adjusted course to avoid one group of the critters and just found ourselves pointing at another.

Look how big those feet are!

When we came into Bartlett Cove, where the Glacier Bay National Park visitor center is, a humpback was coming out. We stopped in to pick up the latest regulations for the park and did a short forest trail hike. It was nice to stretch the legs, since life on a small boat gets pretty sedentary.

This is the skeleton of a whale that died in 2001 after being hit by a cruise ship

With Wifi available at the visitor center, we took the opportunity to check messages and to call ahead to the Sitka Marine Honda dealer to get some parts we need for the boat, so we can pick them up when we’re there later this month. After stopping to chat with some interesting fellow boaters, we cast off from the Bartlett Cove dock and pressed further into the park.

The scenery became more dramatic as we worked our way into the park, and the marine wildlife was plentiful. Otters popped up everywhere, and we also saw a handful of whales and a sea lion killing its fishy lunch by slapping it around the water.

The sun came out and warmed us up by mid-afternoon, just in time for happy hour. We anchored at the head of Shag Cove with one other boat.

We tried to sit outside, but it was a little too buggy - a biting trifecta of horse flies, mosquitoes, and no-see-ums chased us indoors. Thank goodness the boat has screens! Ryan braved the insects long enough to transfer gasoline from one of the bladders to the main fuel tank while I poured myself a margarita and prepared dinner. After dinner we hopped in the dinghy with headnets and spent nearly two hours following the coastline out to the entrance of Shag Cove, taking pictures and watching for whales and otters.

The water was like a mirror

On the way back, we stopped by and chatted with the couple on the other boat, with whom we had anchored before in Red Cliff Bay. I like how we start to see the same boats over and over again; and if we can actually chat, then Ryan and I don’t have to make up stories about them to pass the time.

Now the sun has set and Ryan has gone to sleep while I sort through all the photos and write out my thoughts on the day. I just finished picking my favorite photos when I Iooked up to see a sunset that needed immortalizing. A blogger’s work is never done!

So, the first day in Glacier Bay went quite well. Tomorrow we will add glaciers into the mix - should be fun!

Today’s route (62 miles)

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