DAY 9 (DAY 2 OF NEXT SEGMENT)---CRUISING GULF OF ALASKA & HUBBARD GLACIER

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HUBBARD GLACIER

Hubbard glacier is located in Yakutat Bay.  It is the largest single tide water glacier in the world.   A tide water glacier is one that ends in the ocean.  It is 76 miles long and 6 miles wide but we can only see 3 miles of the glacier face from our ship.  Hubbard glacier moves 3 to 5 feet per day.  It takes the ice 400 years to travel the 76 miles and break off “calve” in the water.  The face of the glacier that one can see is 400 to 500 feet high but there is another 1000 to 1200 feet of ice below the water.  If more than 10 feet of the “calved” ice floating in the bay is visible, it is called an iceberg.  Only 10% of the iceberg is above water so these pieces of ice are huge.  You all have probably seen the movie, “Titanic”, so now you know how hitting one of these icebergs can certainly damage a ship.

LAST EVENING

        Not much to say about it.  I was feeling so bad but we did go up to Prime 7 for our dinner reservation.  I did not feel like eating. 

         I had two bites of a crab cake and two bites of my filet and left before Rebecca had finished.  The boutiques were open as we were not in a port, but sailing again. I wanted a sleeping aid like Melatonin but they did not have it.  So I got some NyQuil.  Hit bed as soon as I got back to the suite and taking some of it.  Pretty much slept through the night but did get up at 12:30 and take more NyQuil as was coughing some.  

TODAY

        What a difference a day makes.  Feeling better but still coughing a little and runny nose.  At least I felt like eating so went up to La Veranda and got an omelet.  Just ate half of it with toast and a piece of sausage.

        It is a beautiful, sunny day and 54 degrees.  Smooth ride last night and today. This segment we have the view of the Alaskan shore line in the distance.

 

        Beautiful cruising today.  Never saw so much snow.  Well, probably did last times we did Alaska cruises.

       Cheese burger and fries for lunch.  Just ate half of it as that's all I needed.  Gotta cut back.

        Mid morning we sailed into the Yakutat Bay on our way to see the Hubbard Glacier.  Weather looks good for our viewing the glacier today.  They said the weather today is the best of their Alaska cruising season.

                                         First sighting of a big chunk of ice was at 1:15.  

        This photo was taken 6 miles from the glacier.  We paused here while another smaller expedition boat went closer to make sure it was clear for our Captain to take our ship closer.

                                             These chunks of calved ice are called "growlers".

The Captain only got us 4 miles from the glacier face.  Other Captains have taken us 2 miles from it.

                                                         Taken with 10x power lense.

        We did not see or hear any "calving" ( when ice falls from the face of the glacier) today as too far from it.

        The "supposed" expert on Alaska and one who has given lectures on it last segment and apparently again this segment, neglected to mention that only one cruise ship is allowed in to see the glacier at a time.  He was making PA from the bridge about Hubbard.  I leaned that from previous cruises here.  On one cruise (not a Regent cruise) they lowered zodiac boat (small boat used for rescues if need be) and went out to get some glacier ice.  It was displayed that evening at the pool bar.

        We finally turned to depart the glacier at 4:15.  

        It least I am back among the living today!  Plan for this evening is Meridian Lounge for cocktail time then dinner in Compass Rose.

        This is tonight's menu which I did not care for.  So I made a special order again for black mussels as our starters.  I ordered veal parmesan as my entree.  Rebecca is having the Alaska sockeye sake-glazed salmon off the menu with some asparagus soup.

        Tonight'show is "Divos & Divas".  Same show as last segment so not going even though it was very good.

        We should be docked in Sitka by 8am tomorrow.  We did not stop here last segment.