The rapidly retreating terminus of South Sawyer Glacier
The Sea Bird entered Tracy Arm long before breakfast on July 17, and we awoke to a misty day. The wind was calm as we traveled up the steep and twisting fjord that was carved by Sawyer glacier. Early risers were treated to views of the shear walls of the tonalite capped by ice that extend over 5,000 feet above sea level near the entrance of the narrow fjord. The ship continued east for over 20 miles then slowly threaded between icebergs to within a quarter mile of South Sawyer Glacier. Near the glacier, we were treated to views of harbor seals resting on icebergs, Arctic terns, and calving of small bergs into the calm green water. Freshly exposed rock below lush vegetation, below the trim line, and glacial sediment, or till, provided testimonial to the recent retreat of the ice. Along these cliffs a mixture of formerly molten igneous and solid metamorphic rock, or migmatite, formed a black, white, and gray swirl suggesting that these rocks behaved like toothpaste as they were metamorphosed, deformed, and melted at least 12 miles [20 kilometers] beneath the surface. Before turning away from the glacier, we had a good view of a mountain goat making its way along the cliffs. We went below deck to enjoy breakfast while the Sea Bird turned west toward Holkham Bay. During the scenic trip out of Tracy Arm we examined numerous glacial and other geological features, including the torrent of water known as hole in the wall waterfall. After lunch, we anchored in Williams Cove, near the entrance to Tracy Arm, where we spent the afternoon kayaking and hiking in the rain forest. The Sea Bird crossed the submerged end moraine in Holkham Bay and turned south along Stephens Passage just before dinner. Rainbows and humpback whales provided a wonderful finish to the day.
The Sea Bird entered Tracy Arm long before breakfast on July 17, and we awoke to a misty day. The wind was calm as we traveled up the steep and twisting fjord that was carved by Sawyer glacier. Early risers were treated to views of the shear walls of the tonalite capped by ice that extend over 5,000 feet above sea level near the entrance of the narrow fjord. The ship continued east for over 20 miles then slowly threaded between icebergs to within a quarter mile of South Sawyer Glacier. Near the glacier, we were treated to views of harbor seals resting on icebergs, Arctic terns, and calving of small bergs into the calm green water. Freshly exposed rock below lush vegetation, below the trim line, and glacial sediment, or till, provided testimonial to the recent retreat of the ice. Along these cliffs a mixture of formerly molten igneous and solid metamorphic rock, or migmatite, formed a black, white, and gray swirl suggesting that these rocks behaved like toothpaste as they were metamorphosed, deformed, and melted at least 12 miles [20 kilometers] beneath the surface. Before turning away from the glacier, we had a good view of a mountain goat making its way along the cliffs. We went below deck to enjoy breakfast while the Sea Bird turned west toward Holkham Bay. During the scenic trip out of Tracy Arm we examined numerous glacial and other geological features, including the torrent of water known as hole in the wall waterfall. After lunch, we anchored in Williams Cove, near the entrance to Tracy Arm, where we spent the afternoon kayaking and hiking in the rain forest. The Sea Bird crossed the submerged end moraine in Holkham Bay and turned south along Stephens Passage just before dinner. Rainbows and humpback whales provided a wonderful finish to the day.
