Glacier calving?

[DougH]

Your cruise includes Sawyer Glacier, there could be calving while you're there.

 

There will very likely be calving but unless you take the small boat tour option you had no chance of seeing it from your cruise ship. You will simply be way too far away

[sherryf]

There will very likely be calving but unless you take the small boat tour option you had no chance of seeing it from your cruise ship. You will simply be way too far away

 

This is not true. We saw calving at Sawyer Glacier - a big one! We were in as far as the big ships can get, and just as the ship was turning to leave, the glacier calved. We weren't quick enough with our cameras to get pictures, but the ship photographer got it and they sold prints. It was one of the biggest calvings I've seen, and I've also been to Glacier Bay 3 times.

[DougH]

This is not true. We saw calving at Sawyer Glacier - a big one! We were in as far as the big ships can get, and just as the ship was turning to leave, the glacier calved. We weren't quick enough with our cameras to get pictures, but the ship photographer got it and they sold prints. It was one of the biggest calvings I've seen, and I've also been to Glacier Bay 3 times.

 

Then you were extremely lucky. I've been into Tracy Arm about 8+ times on different cruise ships and have never gotten in closer than the island at channel split. All you could see was the top of the glacier miles away, no way a view down to the water. I've been up to the face 3 times on the Adventure Bound excursions and South Sawyer is one of the more active glaciers IMHO IF you can get close enough to view it properly. (within 1/4-1/2 mile) The channel split is 4-5 miles away and around a couple of bends.

[sherryf]

Taken with a little point-and-shoot camera from a big ship:

 

[DougH]

Very nice Sherryf that is the closest by far I've seen on a cruise ship (I'd estimate about a mile away) What line? My guess is Disney as I think they allow the most time in Tracy Arm

[sherryf]

Very nice Sherryf that is the closest by far I've seen on a cruise ship (I'd estimate about a mile away) What line? My guess is Disney as I think they allow the most time in Tracy Arm

 

Nope, Princess. :D

[Giantfan13]

wow, bet it was a powerful sound. cant wait. Hope it calves when we go. Where were you when it calved? Was it Sawyer? LOL, when I first read your reply, i read it as if the ship spins due to the calving and got nervous for a sec, then realized what you meant haha. Hey, just noticed we are almost neighbors. Im in Islip. Sad to say, but someone compared the sound to the sound of the buildings in 911 coming down. Hmm, I cannot comment on that, never been to Alaska. Does the sound and calving last a long time or is it something you can miss by making a drink or bathroom run LOL

 

We've been to Glacier Bay twice. Last time we saw several nice calving's, but it is hard to really get a good pix as it happens so fast and by the time you get the camera focused on the right spot, it's already in the water. The best calving we saw was in College Fiord. Not tremendous pieces, but good enough to make many who saw it, go AHHHHH.

 

And when I meant spinning around, the ship, very slowly, moves around so people on both sides can see the glacier. If you are watching it from your balcony, your nuts. You need to be out on deck and up on top. Find a good spot and just sit and wait./ Our ship spent about an hour up close in Glacier Bay.

We just missed a nice calving in this shot

http://i834.photobucket.com/albums/zz267/Giantfan13/ala8g.jpg

 

This set was from farther away, but I got a nice small chunk falling into the water

http://i834.photobucket.com/albums/zz267/Giantfan13/ala9cccc.jpg

 

and here we got a nice chunk that fell out of the bottom of the glacier

http://i834.photobucket.com/albums/zz267/Giantfan13/ala9e.jpg

http://i834.photobucket.com/albums/zz267/Giantfan13/ala9dddd.jpg

 

 

 

Cheers

 

Len

[Chenega]

No way could you go back after all those years! Im sure its such a different way of life. The cruise around Sawyer Glacier. I hope it calves. I hear no guarantee but they all calve and one time or another depending on the weather. Then, someone told me that Sawyer NEVER calves. Figured, mid may should be warm enough? I hear Alaska has had a very mild winter and the Ave temp for mid may in Juneau is approx 60 degrees. Any info you have or anyone else has would be great :)

 

Winter has been very mild in the Anchorage area. We were hit by a surprise spring snowstorm last Friday that dumped 10-14 inches in parts of Anchorage and nearby Eagle River but our home in Chugiak got about 4 inches of the white stuff. Temps hit 40 today so it is rapidly melting.

 

As far as glacial calving, the best I have ever seen was at Hubbard Glacier. It's over six miles wide at the face and one summer about ten years ago it was very active. I've also seen plenty of calving on boat trips out of Whittier to either Blackstone Bay or Surprise Glacier. Aialik, Holgate, and the glaciers of Northwestern Fjord are accessible from Seward and they've been known to put on a great show as well.

[fleckle]

As far as glacial calving, the best I have ever seen was at Hubbard Glacier. It's over six miles wide at the face and one summer about ten years ago it was very active. I've also seen plenty of calving on boat trips out of Whittier to either Blackstone Bay or Surprise Glacier. Aialik, Holgate, and the glaciers of Northwestern Fjord are accessible from Seward and they've been known to put on a great show as well.

Same here. We have seen calving in Glacier Bay on several cruises, but it pales in comparison to the great show you get at Hubbard Glacier when it is actively calving and you are lucky enough to be on a ship that gets in close.

 

There are the booming sound effects, like thunder and rifle shots, getting to watch both smaller chunks and huge sections coming loose and crashing down into the water, the cheers from the crowd, and then the after effects from a large calving when the waves come toward you and rock your huge cruise ship.

 

We have also seen some nice calving on the boat rides out of Seward and Whittier, and on a small boat in Tracy Arm, but no other glacier calving we have seen comes anywhere even close to the calving at Hubbard, and none of the other glaciers are anywhere near Hubbard in size.

 

 

The other side of the coin is that you may possibly be there on a day when your ship is unable to get anywhere near Hubbard Glacier and you only get a disappointing view of it from miles away.

 

Also, even on the same day some of the cruise ships will go in a lot closer than others.

 

Edited March 19, 2014 by fleckle