Prince William Sound

Columbia & Meares Glaciers

Here is our boat all ready for us to board!

Lets Go Says Geri!

And our crew is ready as well.

Valdez harbor had several fishing boats in.

Interesting Name - Determined!

This one is headed out to sea!

And This One Is Returning!

And

Is Home Of The

USCG Station Valdez

Coast Guards Northern Most Small Boat Station

Don & Geri in the pilot house enjoying the view!

Don has a ring side seat!

Dennis having a Discussion With a Crew Member!

And The Views

I'll Let You Just Look At The Pictures!

Bald Eagles!

Waterfalls!

Icebergs!

Interesting Shape!

Balancing Berg??

Columbia Glacier in Background!

The Columbia Glacier, a glacier in Prince William Sound on the south coast of the U.S. state of Alaska, is one of the fastest moving glaciers in the world, and has been retreating since the early 1980s. It was named after Columbia University, one of several glaciers in the area named for elite U.S. colleges by the Harriman Alaska Expedition in 1899.

The glacier's speed of retreat at the terminus reached a maximum of nearly 30 metres (98 ft) per day in 2001, when it was discharging icebergs at approximately 7 cubic kilometres (1.7 cu mi) per year; the glacier has subsequently slowed down, resulting in an increase in retreat rate. The terminus has retreated a total of 16 kilometres (9.9 mi) at an average rate of approximately 0.6 kilometres (0.37 mi) per year since 1982. The retreat has been accompanied by nearly 500 metres (1,600 ft) of thinning at the present position of the terminus. In the next few decades it is expected to retreat another 15 kilometres (9.3 mi), to a point where the bed of the glacier rises above sea level. Columbia Glacier's retreat should be completed around 2020. Tidewater glacier advance and retreat is not directly forced by climate (adjacent tidewater glaciers may be simultaneously advancing and retreating), but rapid retreat appears to be triggered by climate-forced long-term thinning.

More Views

More Bald Eagles!

The Clouds Were Interesting I Thought!

Lots of Sea Otters!

Nearing The Meares Glacier!

The Meares Glacier is a large and only tidewater glacier at the head of Unakwik Inlet in Chugach National Forest, Alaska. The glacier is one of the many in Prince William Sound, and is about 79.6 miles (128 km) east of Anchorage. The glacier is named for eighteenth century British naval captain John Meares. The face of the glacier is one mile (1.6 km) wide where it calves into the inlet. The glacier is sometimes visited by cruises from Valdez. Meares Glacier is currently advancing.

Lots of Icebergs!