The ship drifted up Tarr Inlet and into position in front of Margerie Glacier and the Sun was coming out nicely to provide excellent views.
I was staring off to the right as the ship was pointed directly at the ice when the guy next to me shouted out that he couldn't believe he just saw the glacier calving. Dang. So fast, I missed it! I knew there would be more opportunities to come.
I learned a new word. Sérac. It refers to blocks of ice formed by intersecting crevasses on a glacier. They are named after "a Swiss French ricotta-like whey cheese". Who knew?
Some seracs towered over us of from the top of the glacier. This is another mile-long terminus and we were really close here.
As the air continued to warm there was an echoing 'crack' and bits of ice would begin to fall from the face of ice...
...to plunge into the water below.
But these were just the beginning as the ice groaned and cracked. Sometimes the sound seemed to be coming from deep within the structure and we were constantly scanning the glacier to see if we were missing some new calving. Only the hum of the engines and the murmur of the crowd interacted with the stress-induced creaking.
Suddenly, a new section of ice broke free and cameras clicked away.
More shots to follow. Tomorrow. The bigger chunks happened once our side of the ship was swung around. Not complaining.
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