Glacier Tour

We took an all day boat ride to the Columbia and Mears glaciers. A few days before we arrived, the Columbia calved such a large piece that it filled the bay for 7 miles out. Large pieces of floating ice prevented geting as close as the boat usually goes.

On this trip we saw eagles, seals, puffins, a whale fluke, and my favorite...those cute little sea otters.









Valdez was one of our most favorite places. The melting snow was replaced with green. This was taken just outside the harbor.






This picture was actually taken in the morning on the way out. It was foggy when we left, but soon cleared up.



The boat crew passed around pieces of ice fished out of the Columbia Bay





It was really cloudy and dreary when we got as close as allowed to the Columbia Glacier. The area in back of the barrier is the bay that is filled with ice




The mountains around were spectacular



The Mears Glacier is younger than the Columbia and still forming. The boat could get to within 1/4 mile.

We only got to see a vary small piece calve off. From the sounds of all the crackling, a much larger piece was getting ready.....