Icy Strait

A satellite's view of Icy Strait and the mouth of Glacier Bay (center).

All seafaring creatures that wish to visit Glacier Bay must arrive via Icy Strait, the main body of water that connects the Inside Passage, Glacier Bay, and the Pacific Ocean in an east-to-west orientation. Icy Strait is a nautical highway for cruise ships, fishing boats, and recreational watercraft that is jammed with whales, seals, sea otters, and a myriad of other animals in great numbers.