We spent the majority of Day 4 on deck / at least near windows admiring the sights of Glacier Bay, a national park, UN biosphere reserve and a world heritage site. Its magnificence speaks for itself.
250 years young 100 miles long and 1000’s of ft deep it once occupied the bay, now all gone. What remains are less than a dozen small tidewater glaciers.
The Tlingit (indigenous peoples) harvested its resources before 1750 amidst the dormant glacier that eventually forced their departure and upon its receding, their return to claim it as their spiritual homeland.
In 1890 John Muir came to research glaciers and their origens. He was followed by Minnesotan, William S Cooper Ecological Society of America re: preservation of the Glacier.
If you listen carefully you can hear calving which occurs when big chunks drop off the glacier leaving these breakaways icebergs which dot the waters.
I was so awestruck that I didn’t film the event/ just caught the splashing and the floating remains...
Hopefully the splendor of the glaciers will be able to be enjoyed by future generations. In any case Glacier Bay is one place you don't want to miss!
Tomorrow on to Sittka...
I love the deep blue of the glacial ice, reminds me of topaz
ReplyDeleteThat color is just incredible... I wish paint companies would just name it Glacier Blue.
DeleteI loved Glacier Bay - the sound of the calving is so eerie and powerful. My favorite ones were the blue colored ones as well - such a striking hue.
ReplyDelete