When we awoke at Russell Island after our first day in Glacier Bay, AIS showed the pocket cruise ship Safari Explorer anchored out of sight at the north end of the island. They left about 5:30am, heading up Tarr Inlet to Margerie Glacier, and we did the same about 15 minutes later. We were a little disappointed, as we had hoped that by getting up early we’d have some time alone at the glacier. But in the end, we had the place to ourselves for hours. Because its so popular, we were expecting Glacier Bay to be crowded, similar to Desolation Sound Marine Park. But the Glacier Bay comprises 950 square miles of marine waters compared to 32-square-mile Desolation Sound, and the seasonal permit restrictions limit the number of boats per day to at most 2 cruise ships, 3 tour vessels, 6 charter vessels, 1 passenger ferry and 25 private vessels. We were alone more often than not.