One of the highlights of any Alaskan cruise including our trip on Carnival Legend is the trip through Glacier Bay and Tracy Arm Fjord. Tracy Arm Fjord is located 45 miles south of Juneau. The landscapes are breathtaking with 360-degree views and the ship glides through the fjord.
I was amazed that our massive ship made it all the way to South Sawyer Glacier in the Endicott Arm of Tracy Arm Fjords Terror Wilderness. The purity of South Sawyer Glacier’s ice gives it its strong blue color, especially on a sunny day. We had perfect weather conditions for viewing. To show scale the smaller ships in the picture are two stories tall.
Since we were in the area 15 years ago, the glacier has melted and retreated more than I expected. In just the past fives years it has retreated over a mile. Currently, 98% of Alaska’s glaciers are shrinking due to warming temperatures in the arctic regions.