 How can you really see glaciers in Alaska? On a private crewed yacht charter!
Other than very remote worldwide locations, Alaska is one of the few places where glaciers can actually be seen up close. We think the most exciting way to see and experience glaciers in Alaska is by water, cruising right up to the very face of the glacier.
Sawyer Glacier, located south of Juneau, sits at the head of a fjord named Tracy Arm. This glacier is called the Twin Sawyer Glaciers as there are two faces to be seen at the head of Tracy Arm, which are designated Sawyer Glacier and South Sawyer Glacier.
The Twin Sawyer Glaciers are a tidewater glacier, which means that the front faces of the glaciers are met by and calve into the sea.
Glaciers are constantly moving and as a tidewater glacier moves, chunks of ice along the face of the glacier break off, or calve, and fall into the salt water below.
Salt water, such as in Tracy Arm, rarely freezes, as salt water requires a lower freezing temperature than the fresh water frozen into glacier ice.
In a private crewed yacht charter, cruise right up to the faces of the Twin Sawyer Glaciers and sit right next to the glacier while the calving action occurs; a fantastic sight to see. Be alerted to the calving action as it is directly preceded by a loud cracking sound, which is the sound of the ice breaking off of the face of the glacier.
A large chunk of ice will then drop into th e salt water below, with a huge splash creating a large radiating wave. The ice chunk becomes an ice floe, which, while partially floating on top of the water, begins a journey to the mouth of Tracy Arm.
Tracy Arm is 26 miles long, with the cliff sides rising steeply up from the waters of the fjord to heights of as much at 7000 feet. Reaching the Twin Sawyer Glaciers requires a cruise up the fjord to the head.
While cruising up, ice floes will drift by, which are ice chunks that calved previously from the faces of the glaciers.
The cruise up Tracy Arm is quite an adventure in its own right, as often there are waterfalls spilling off of the sheer mountain sides into the fjord, and mountain goats, deer, moose, and many different birds, including Bald Eagles can be seen alongside while cruising.
When cruising closer to the glacier faces, harbor seals can be seen basking in the sun on the ice floes from the calving glaciers. The Twin Sawyer Glaciers are considered very active glaciers with calving action happening on either face at least once an hour.
 Sit right under one face of the glacier and wait for the loud crack to sound and watch a huge chunk of ice fall into the fjord below with a resounding splash, and radiating wave. The harbor seals take it all in stride, as the radiating waves bounce their sunbathing pads, the neighboring ice floes.
Cruise away from the face of the glaciers, but still within sight, and try sea kayaking around the ice floes. It is hard to get too close to a harbor seal, as they will vacate any ice floe within close proximity, however you will see them swimming in the surrounding waters. And by sea kayak or ships tender, you can get close enough to an ice flow to chip off pieces of ice for your evening cocktails.
This ice is centuries old and so compacted, that there is a bluish tinge, and it feels soft to the touch. Due to how compacted glacier ice is, it will cool your cocktail much longer than freezer ice.
 Cruise ships are generally too large to cruise up Tracy Arm to the Twin Sawyer Glaciers.
A Private Crewed Yacht Charter can take you right up and into the action, sitting right next to the calving glacier faces, surrounded by ice floes and harbor seals.
Charter a private crewed yacht for this once in a lifetime experience, not to ever be forgotten.
written by Missy Johnston
© 2009 Missy Johnston |
