The mouth of Glacier Bay is at the junction of Glacier Bay and Icy Strait and is part of the Glacier Bay-Icy Strait Important Bird Area. Exploring this area is most often done by boat with either a tour/charter boat or cruise ship, but the mouth of the bay area can also be viewed from Point Gustavus—another recommended birding site in the Gustavus community.

Birders are likely to find the following species while exploring the mouth of Glacier Bay: Red-necked Phalarope, Parasitic Jaeger, Pomarine Jager, Common Murre, Surf Scoter, White-winged Scoter, Pigeon Guillemot, Marbled Murrelet, Kittlitz’s Murrelet, Tufted Puffin, Black-legged Kittiwake, Pacific Loon, Mew Gull, Glaucous-winged Gull, Icelandic Gull, Herring Gull, Arctic Tern, and Pelagic Cormorant, among other species.

Directions:

Glacier Bay can be accessed either from a tour/charter boat departing from the National Park Visitor Center public dock, cruise ship, or by private vessel with a permit. Check with the National Park Service for authorized tour companies. To get to the Glacier Bay Visitor Center from downtown Gustavus, head west on Gustavus Road toward Shooting Star Road (0.7 miles). Turn right onto Mountain View Road, and drive 2.8 miles to Park Road. Drive 4.4 miles and follow the signs to the Glacier Bay Visitor Center.

Birding Resources:

•  eBird Hotspot: Glacier Bay NP--Icy Strait (@mouth of Glacier Bay)

Species Checklist:

• Gustavus checklist

Other Resources:

• Audubon: Glacier Bay - Icy Strait IBA