See Alaska Glaciers While You Still Can

[Jan115]

(I wanted to share this poignant piece from a fellow cruise industry writer about why you can't put off that Alaskan vacation any longer!)

"Relative to other glacier-covered areas of the globe, Alaska glaciers are losing mass rapidly.

Statistics like this are appearing in more and more studies and we want to help raise awareness and encourage you to see them while you still can!

Witnessing the awe-inspiring breaking off of a glacier as it falls into the sea is only surpassed by the creaking sounds followed by the roar as the pieces crash into the sea.

A team of scientists analyzed 116 glaciers in the Alaska region, which includes the glaciers of Alaska, southwest Yukon Territory, and coastal northern British Columbia.

The study spanned a 19-year period in which researchers estimated ice loss caused by melting and iceberg calving. The results published in the Geophysical Research Letters found:

Alaskas glaciers have sent 75 billions of tons of water into the ocean every year for the past 19 years, increasing sea levels by two-tenths of a millimeter annually.

The amount of water generated from this rate of melting would cover the state of Alaska in a foot of water if extended over a seven-year period.

In the last 35 years, the Columbia Glacier in Prince William Sound has retreated more than 12 miles due to iceberg calving and thinned by more than 1,500 vertical feet.

The current sea level rise rate which started in 1990 is 2.5 times faster than it was from 1900 to 1990, thanks in part to melting glaciers.

Alaskas contribution to rising sea levels is due to the record warm temperatures and glaciers located at much lower altitudes than those in Asia or Latin America.

Disruptions to Alaskas ecosystems could include alterations to salmon spawning patterns, affecting fisheries.

Vacations to Enjoy the Glaciers

As temperatures warm, Alaskas sensitive glaciers will continue melting. The recent study does not make predictions about when they might disappear, but its safe to say that there will never be a better time to witness these majestic wonders of nature up close and in person.

Cruise Glacier Bay from the romantic warmth of a Jacuzzi on the ships top deck. Glacier Bay offers 16 active tidewater glaciers. While the entrance to the Bay was a wall of ice in 1794, the ice has retreated 65 miles since then. Located in the heart of Glacier National Park and Preserve, a 3.2 million acre sanctuary, youll enjoy your time spent with knowledgeable park rangers who join you on board to guide you through the Bays landmarks and history.

Cruise Glacier Bay from the romantic warmth of a Jacuzzi on the ships top deck. Glacier Bay offers 16 active tidewater glaciers. While the entrance to the Bay was a wall of ice in 1794, the ice has retreated 65 miles since then. Located in the heart of Glacier National Park and Preserve, a 3.2 million acre sanctuary, youll enjoy your time spent with knowledgeable park rangers who join you on board to guide you through the Bays landmarks and history.

Cruise Glacier Bay with Princess CruisesTake the family on vacation to Mendenhall Glacier, one of Alaskas most accessible and spectacular glaciers. Drive out to the glacier lookout, take a guided hike with a park ranger, ride a dog sled, or kayak on Mendenhall Lake. The photo opportunities abound, and its a chance for your children to experience something in person that might not be possible for their own children to witness.

Go glacier flightseeing at Denali Park. Look down on Mt. McKinley, the highest peak in North America, from a helicopter. Surveying the 20,230-foot giant offers a breathtaking adventure.

Hike Kennicott, a ghost town in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, the largest National Park in North America with 13.2 million acres. Kennicott was once a thriving copper mine known as Glacier City due to its location alongside a glacier with ice so high that inhabitants could not see across the valley. The ice has since retreated, leaving only mounds of silt. Hikers from around the world come to enjoy the abundant alpine hiking opportunities in the treasured wilderness park with mind-blowing, above-the-tree-line views.

Article Credit: Amanda Brooks (Insider-Vacation dot com, August 20, "Chase Your Dreams of Alaskan Ice While You Can")

Re-posted on CruiseCrazies.com - Cruise News, Articles, Forums, Packing List, Ship Tracker, and more.

Please visit CruiseCrazies.com for more cruise news & articles.

Featured photo credit: J. Neves

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[DebbieandJerry]

Jerry and I were very surprised last year when the glaciers weren't as "icy" as we expected them to be. They are spectacular to see, though. I was very hesitant about cruising Alaska but I strongly encourage everyone to travel there. It is not a "sea" vacation. It is a "see" vacation.

[Jan115]

Remember, there are many other glaciers to view besides what's seen from a cruise ship in Glacier Bay or Tracy Arm, and you can see them up close. With an excursion from Juneau, you can take a helicopter ride to the surface of Mendenhall Glacier and walk on it. If you cruise one way to Anchorage or Seward, you can visit Prince William Sound 90 minutes from Anchorage and experience a high speed catamaran cruise and view tidewater glaciers that originate from high up in the mountains, so appear more impressive. 15 miles from Seward is Exit Glacier, which you can hike to. Spencer Glacier can be reached by Alaska Railroad, and you can float up close to the glacier or walk on it. If you're going to Denali on a pre or post-cruise tour, stop in the town of Talkeetna and take a glacier flight landing in a small plane and walk on the glacier.