After Skagway we sailed further north to Glacier Bay. It is a huge fjord which used to be one big glacier back in the 1700's when George Vancouver discovered it. Today there are many glaciers still feeding the bay.
It was an overcast misty day, common in this area, but we could still see the massive glaciers as we sailed up to the end of the fjord. This is the Reid Glacier.
This is Margerie Glacier the small ship gives you an idea of the size of the glacier wall.
The captain rotates the huge ship so that both sides can get a good view of the face of the glacier.
Everyone was hoping to witness glacier calving like we did here. There is an all mighty rumble and cracking sound and then the big splosh. I doesn't happen very often and I was chuffed to capture this fall, which was only a small one.
Then we had a lucky trip up the next inlet to John Hopkins Glacier. We were the first ship allowed into this area this season. The ice had been too thick and dangerous for ships before now.
The mist had cleared and we could get a good view of this one. It was awe inspiring. The little black dots on the ice pieces in the water are seals.
Nature at its best.
After circling for an hour or so we were on our way out of the fjord heading south for Ketchikan. It was an amazing place, entirely the opposite to the Australian landscapes. We live in an amazing world and I hope we don't ruin it.
Wonderful photos of Glacier Bay and the glacier scenery. Did your cruise ship have a ranger board at Glacier Bay to talk with the passengers?
ReplyDeleteYes, Eilleen she gave us lots of information and pointed out bears eating a whale carcass.
ReplyDeleteThis post and your photos absolutely take my breath away....so, so beautiful!!!!! Wow.
ReplyDeleteVery interesting your photos, Diane....amazing what we don't see living here in Australia....but we also have our beauty :)
ReplyDeletegorgeous photos as usual. you are a very talented photographer Diane.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful pictures from your trip. And the seals looks real small near the ice walll. I love reading your blog. :)
ReplyDeleteLovely photos Diane, especially the one of the glacier 'calving' (wonderful term for it!) It does remind us how fragile the balance of life is.
ReplyDeleteDiane...The photos of the glaciers are magnificent. It is as though I can reach out and touch the ice. I did enjopy the "wildlife" too when you were boarding the ship, elsewhere in your story.
ReplyDeleteHi Diane, Your last statement caught my interest. MAN seems to be doing everything we can to spoil our gorgeous world... Darn!!!!
ReplyDeleteGlacier Bay is on my cruise list for next year. I can't wait to see it...
My son worked on one of the small ships (Cruise West) up there in 2004/05... That may have been his boat so close to the glacier.... He got some incredible photos during his time up there --as you can imagine.
Hugs,
Betsy
Hi Diane - it has been marvelous for me here in hot and humid Long Beach to revel in your photos of beautiful, freezing-cold ice and glaciers! Thank you. How amazing that you were there at just the right time to catch the calving of the glacier.
ReplyDeleteThese pictures take my breath away. What an incredible sight to see in person.
ReplyDelete☼ Sunny
It's hard to believe you were actually there and saw this!!
ReplyDeleteThat is impressing to see those glaciers so close, beautiful!
ReplyDeleteJust now found this blog of yours. Oh how gorgeous those glaciers are. I wonder if Heaven looks like this perhaps.
ReplyDeleteDiane, those are breathtaking! I actually got Bill up here to look at these (he's not a regular blog reader, except to edit our own!). We both looked carefully at every picture --- incredible. And to get to see the glacier calving -- amazing.
ReplyDeleteDiane, those are breathtaking! I actually got Bill up here to look at these (he's not a regular blog reader, except to edit our own!). We both looked carefully at every picture --- incredible. And to get to see the glacier calving -- amazing.
ReplyDeleteGlacier Bay is fabulous!!
ReplyDelete