Immense spires of ice—some up to 60 meters high—crash from the tidewater glaciers into the saltwater fjord of Tracy Arm. Called calving by scientists and more poetically “white thunder” by the Tlingit, this action stirs up plankton and can inspire a swirling funnel of ravenous seabirds. Avid photographers should bring long lenses and stand poised at the ready: The avalanche lasts just seconds after the distinctive cannon-shot crack of the glacier splintering.
