Alaska Cruise: Part 4

After Skagway, we had our second of only two non-port days. After all our kayaking and hiking, we were looking forward to relaxing a little. But first, we made sure to wake up at 6am to claim a coveted spot on the helipad as we cruised up to Hubbard Glacier.

Ever wonder what it would look like if you clipped a GoPro to the railing of a cruise ship? Of course you have! And now you know:

J and I were both fascinated by the cloudy green glacier water. Also: the crunching and shuddering of the ship as we plowed thru ice was both disconcerting and thrilling. 

The early hour combined with the proximity to the glacier and the windchill on the exposed deck all made for a freezing few hours of sightseeing. {poor Lu!}

I only managed an hour and a half before retreating behind a glassed in viewing room. {There were some in our group who never made it outside of their rooms. Lucky balcony owners!}

We saw several harbor seals basking on the icebergs as we approached.

And then finally we drew close enough to hear the massive thundering of the calving glacier:

It was almost constant-- a series of terrifying cracking noises followed by the massive splash and tumbling of ice. It looks so tiny in pictures, and yet those ice chunks could crush a fishing vessel.

Again, the blue ice did not disappoint.

Amazingly, the Captain only made a few rotations before heading back to open water. Those who didn't make it out to the deck before 9am missed it all. At least these two fanatics caught every last second on film {multiple angles, several formats, with at least three different cameras} despite the frigid cold:

 Nuttiness runs in the family.