Endicott Arm Fjord and Dawes Glacier

Endicott Arm is a narrow fjord approximately 50 miles (80 km) southeast of Juneau, Alaska, extending over 30 miles (48 km) with nearly one-fifth of its area covered in ice.  At the head of the fjord, glaciers, including the Dawes Glacier that we are heading toward, regularly expel enormous chunks of ice that float along the water surface, from a few inches in size up to three stories wide.

We head out of Ketchikan up to the Endicott Arm, entering early in the morning and cruising up the fjord as the sun rises.

Along the coast on the way up

Making our way up the fjord

Waterfalls and floating ice along the way

Continuing up the fjord

Reaching the Dawes Glacier at the head of the fjord

Turning around and heading back

We spot several large chunks of blue floating ice.  This phenomenon occurs when snow falls on a glacier, is compressed, and becomes part of the glacier.  During compression, air bubbles are squeezed out and dense ice crystals emerge that absorb other colors more efficiently than blue, leading us to see them as blue.

Blue ice

Endicott Arm is within the Tongass National Forest and is a haven for wildlife including black and brown bears, deer, wolves, harbor seals, mountain goats, and a wide variety of seabirds, none of which we see in our cruise up the fjord (except maybe a few birds).  But we do get incredible views of snowcapped mountains, magnificent waterfalls, and spectacular glaciers galore.

We proceed back out of the fjord, on our way up the coast to Juneau.

Heading out of the fjord

Up the coast toward Juneau

What an incredible side trip on the ship!