16 Glaciers:

Glacier Bay has 16 glaciers or thereabouts. It's 65 miles long and the National Park associated with it is 3.3 million acres of pure, pristine wilderness. The fog lifted today and we wore ourselves out taking photos. Mostly we stayed up at the bow in the cold wind because we didn't want to miss anything. No description can really do justice to this place. It is nature at its most powerful. When the glaciers "calve" or break off a piece, it sounds like thunder or a gunshot or both.

250 years ago, there was no bay. But as the glaciers have receded, the bay was formed. The glaciers move everyday. Every year, the bay is different, with some glaciers moving quite a good distance and others not moving as much. The water color can be gray, emerald green or deep blue.

Humpback whales spend the summer here feeding to gain strength for their 2800 mile plus swim to Maui where they spend the winter giving birth and breeding. We saw three today, plus some dolphins. Park rangers came aboard the ship and told us all about the bay and wild life here. It is so amazing to be in the midst of true wilderness and to know that it still exists on our ravaged planet. Only two cruise ships can cruise the bay on any one day--and some days they cannot enter. Every effort is made to keep the bay pristine.I can only hope and pray that it will all be kept intact for future generations to see.

Tomorrow, we arrive at Skagway, Alaska and will be taking a float trip into an eagle preserve to see bald eagles. Of course, I got to see them up close in Menominee, Michigan--but expect them to be more numerous here. And also hope to see bears on the shoreline.

Have fallen in love with Alaska and feel so blessed to be able to see it. It is the extreme opposite of Hawaii, my very favorite, special place...but they seem to have one thing in common: an intense spirituality. God's hand is apparent everywhere.