Above: A panorama of Tracy Arm Fjord
Tracy Arm Fjord is a popular route with Cruise Ships, located southeast of Juneau on the Inside Passage. It is a glacial valley with the Sawyer Glaciers located at either end. Approximately 23 miles long, our ship the Zuiderdam only sails part of the route but the views are nevertheless impressive.
Above: Some of the scenery is quite dramatic
Above: The Inside Passage is popular with cruise ships
One of the biggest draws for passengers is Glacier Bay which forms part of the Glacier Bay Basin, designated a National Park in 1980. It is also the world's largest UNESCO protected biosphere, declared so in 1986. Glacier Bay was a large single glacier until the early 18th century when it began retreating, leaving 20 separate glaciers in its wake.
Above: John Hopkins Glacier
The John Hopkins Glacier you see above has a width of 1 mile with a depth of 250 feet, also rising 250 feet above sea level. It stretches 12 miles upstream and is the largest tidewater glacier in Glacier Bay. The inlet is closed to boats during the Summer months to protect unweaned harbor seal pups so we were lucky to see it!
Above: Passengers watching the John Hopkins Glacier from the bow of the Zuiderdam.
Another glacier which see saw in Glacier Bay was the Margerie Glacier, a 2l mile long tide water glacier that begins on the south slope of Mount Root. It is located at the deep end of Glacier Bay.
Above: The Margerie Glacier
Above: Close-up of the Margerie Glacier. These chunks of ice frequently 'carve' (break off) but I haven't seen it happen yet!
I'll leave you with a shot of one of the islands in the Inside Passage. I saw a whale near here last week (but sadly without my camera). Next time I'll show you some of the ports in Alaska.
Above: An island in the Inside Passage
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