Margerie Glacier, Tidewater glacier in Glacier Bay, Alaska
Margerie Glacier is a tidewater glacier flowing into Glacier Bay, with its face rising directly from the water in steep walls of blue and white ice. The glacier forms one of only a few places in North America where you can watch ice meet ocean directly.
The glacier took its name from French geologist Emmanuel de Margerie, who studied the region in the early 1900s. This naming reflects the period when scientists were actively mapping and understanding Alaska's glacial systems.
The Tlingit and Haida peoples lived in these waters for centuries, and their knowledge of the landscape shaped how people understood this glacier long before others arrived. Their presence remains visible in how locals today speak of the territory and its resources.
The best time to visit is between May and September when most boat tours operate. You need to travel by water to reach the glacier face, as there is no overland access.
When ice calves from the glacier, it sends vibrations through the water that push small fish to the surface. Seabirds gather at these moments to take advantage of the food pushed up by the collapsing ice.
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