Glacier Bay is famous for its tidewater glaciers. In 1794, the glaciers formed a wall of ice across the mouth of the bay that could not be penetrated by the early explorers. Since that time the glaciers have receded over 50 miles. This represents the fastest glacial retreat on record. Traveling to these glaciers is like traveling through time from relatively old growth rain forest near the mouth, through a succession of plant life to bare rock at the head of the bay. Glacier Bay National Park is comprised of over 3.3 million acres and provides a home for numerous wildlife such as bear, moose, whales, seals, birds, sea lions and much more. We customize packages for the independent traveler. You can see Glacier Bay from the comfort of a catamaran.

Salmon and Halibut Fishing

Finally the sinker reaches bottom. The captain advises reeling the line in a foot so that the hook doesn't snag bottom. He also advises pulling up the pole a few feet and letting it drop until the sinker hits bottom. This pounding of the sinker on the bottom attracts the halibut. For a few minutes there is no action but suddenly there are a few strong tugs and instinctively the fisherperson jerks the pole back to set the hook. This time the tip of the pole bends almost straight down toward the water indicating that there is a large fish hooked and it is about to fight. After what seems to be endless hours of reeling in the fish and letting it take out the line, a shadowy bulk approaches the surface of the water. The captain advises that you not to let the head of the fish break the surface of the water or the fish will attempt to break away and take more line. Finally the captain positions himself and uses a small harpoon to secure this very large halibut. It is not uncommon to catch halibut in the Gustavus area that exceed 100 pounds and King Salmon in the 30 to 50 pound range.

Kayaking

When you think of kayaking do you envision that adventurer with a helmet and life jacket plummeting over a roaring waterfall? Well, that's one kind of kayaking but not sea kayaking. Sea Kayaking is gliding calmly through the water generally along the coast observing undisturbed wildlife. Granted there maybe a few occasional waves but these kayaks are designed to be very stable and cut smoothly through any turbulent waters.

Gustavus is a staging area for kayak expeditions. Outfitters in the area offer several expeditions to Glacier Bay, Icy Strait and the Outer Coast (Pacific). A popular trip is the Marine Mammal Expedition where you can kayak quietly amongst the seals, sea otters, and humpback whales while possibly observing that occasional bear meandering along the shore. It's not uncommon to have a 40 foot plus visitor surface close by to give it's greetings. All the outfitters supply the necessary kayak and camping gear, food and transportation from Gustavus. All these expeditions are designed so that anyone, even those with no experience, can join in for the adventure of a lifetime.

If you just want a taste of kayaking there are day trips available. If you want to be your own outfitter, you can rent a kayak and arrange to be dropped off in a wilderness area in Glacier Bay by the daily tour boat and picked up at a prearranged date. Sea Kayaking is probably the best way to see wildlife and to have the true wilderness experience.

Transportation

In Gustavus there is a taxi (907-607-2239) available and a car rental (907-697-2403). Air Taxies are available for transportation from Juneau, Skagway, Haines and Sitka to Gustavus. They do flightseeing charters over Glacier Bay and the Juneau Ice Field (877-460-2377).