Alaska Cruise, Day 4: Hubbard Glacier

Approaching the glacier, we stood near the bow for the best view. It was hard to get a good spot to look at the glacier.

Getting closer.

and closer. Even though we're still miles away, the entire thing doesn't fit in the frame of the camera.

You can see how the glacier curves around the side of a mountain and spills out into the ocean.

As we approach, more detail of the ice is visible.

Off to the right, a smaller glacier is visible in the distance winding its way through a valley.

To the left of the main glacier was another one, which looked dirtier.

This was about as close as the cruise could get to the glacier. The height of the glacier's face was above our head, even though we were about 11 decks above the water's surface.

The ice appears blue because of the intense pressure under which it has been compressed. The density is high enough to absorb most of the visible spectrum except for blue.

Here is a photo of a large piece of ice calving (collapsing off of the glacier's face). It happens quickly enough that it's difficult to get a photo. After the ice falls, it makes a loud boom that sounds like thunder. Although the distance makes it appears small, the chunk probably weighs several tons and is falling from over a hundred feet in the air.

From this distance, much of the detail in the ice is clearly visible.

A picturesque iceberg drifting by. The channel straight ahead sometimes gets clogged by ice. When this happens, the interior water level rises until the pressure is sufficient to burst through the ice in a spectacular torrent. During such periods, cruise ships are careful to keep more distance than we are.

The water is pretty dense with small icebergs from all the calving.

The deck was very crowded.

Helen was cold and sleepy (we had to get up extra early to see the glacier).

Looking towards the more jagged west face of the glacier.

Helen got too cold and wanted to go inside and have breakfast. Luckily, we found a good table near the windows.

Sneak a picture of Helen eating.

Helen was not happy with the All Bran cereal.

We found some harbor seals on a floating ice (look for the four tiny sausages on a large ice towards the right of the largest version of this photo). They had to be viewed with binoculars. That also gives you an idea of how enormous the glacier is.

Beginning our departure from the glacier.

Re-energized after breakfast.

Leaving the glacier.

The crowd gathers near the stern to see the departing glacier.

The other glacier is to the side as we head out.

Helen was very cold.

I was better adjusted.

The final shot...