Woke to confetti ice on the water this morning as we were sailing into the Hubbard Glacier. As we got closer, the ship slowed and and some crew got into a lifeboat to suss out the chunks of ice coming towards us. The cracking was more like booming as we watch some pieces carving off the glacier. Nicknamed the "Galloping Glacier" this test Alaskan glacier is rapidly advancing. It creaks and groans as moves and is a very actively carving glacier. This makes for some very exciting moment when the huge chunks of ice crash into the bay creating a wonderful sound called "white thunder" by the Tlingit people.
Hubbard Glacier Fun Facts:
Hubbard Glacier is located in eastern Alaska and part of Yukon Canada, named after Gardiner Hubbard in 1890.
The Hubbard Glacier is is the largest tidewater glacier in North America. A tidewater glacier is one that flows into the ocean.
It is approximately 7 miles wide at it's foot and 76 miles long. these measurements are constantly changing as the Hubbard Glacier continues to grow and move forward.
Current rate of advance: Approximately 80 feet per year.
The ice you see at the terminal face is approximately 450 year old and is over 2,000 feet thick at some Locations.