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Travelling to the far reaches of the Earth towards the head of Yakutat Bay, in the U.S. state of Alaska, extending southwest from Disenchantment Bay to the Gulf of Alaska, stands one of Alaska’s largest and most unpredictable glaciers, the mighty Hubbard Glacier.

Hubbard Glacier is only one of the hundreds of glaciers that have survived the last mini ice age. Worldwide glacial statistics are amazing; 10 percent of our world’s total area is covered with ice (up to two miles thick in some regions), equaling the percentage of land currently being used for agriculture. Glacier and polar ice store more water than all the world’s lakes, rivers and the atmosphere combined, and if the world’s ice caps melted completely, sea levels would rise enough to flood much of the Earth and more than half of the world’s cities.

Glaciers form because snow falls during the winter, but not all of it melts in the summer. The remaining snow builds up year after year in layers. As these layers pile up, their weight increases and causes the snow crystals below the surface to compact, or press together, to form pellets. Snowflakes first change to granular snow but are soon pressed into a mass of ice by the weight of the accumulating layers above. In time, when the ice becomes heavy enough, the entire mass breaks loose at the bottom and begins a slow-motion avalanche down the mountain moving from an inch to as much as seven feet in a single day. Millions of tons of ice, gravel, and broken rock slide down the mountain, carving a path to the sea. Shattered bedrock and boulders are pushed aside and over the years fabulous fjords and inlets are created. It is only at the shore that nature’s unstoppable bulldozer meets its match. Softened by the warmer sea air and eroded by seawater, tremendous chunks of the 300-foot high ice cliffs ‘calve’ or crack and crash into the bay below.

While viewing the glacier, this is what exactly happened. As we were transfixed viewing this massive but beautiful block of ice; suddenly we were distracted by a hissing, crackling and rumbling noise a short distance away. The show was spectacular and can only be seen in three places on Earth – Chile, Scandinavia, and Alaska. The huge icebergs that result from this calving can last for weeks before they slowly melt in the icy water. And although their thawing process is slow, it is by no means calm. Air pockets trapped in the ice and compressed over centuries, pop and hiss as the ice melts. Larger pockets can even cause mini-explosions.

We were told during our cruise that years ago it was not possible to venture so near the glacier as we had done that day due to the frozen ice waters. As a matter of fact, that day was the closest ever in history that a cruise ship had ventured so close to the glacier. We were a mere 300 feet away. Although, we felt privileged to be so close to the glacier, I couldn’t help but feel sad that so much of the ice has been melting so quickly.

Although Hubbard Glacier is not considered one of the natural wonders of the world, I would venture to say that it should be one. It is breathtaking and beautiful and a trip well worth taking.

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