As we headed across the bay toward Holgate Glacier, we started encountering floating ice throughout the bay. We saw lots of smaller glaciers up on the mountains, the tips of the Harding Ice Field that covers most of the lower Kenai Peninsula.

These are some of the small ice floes in the bay near Holgate Glacier.

Sue and Warren Woolf on deck with the Holgate Glacier in the background. As we approach the Holgate Glacier at this end of the fjord, the air gets much colder and there is some rain. These glaciers apparently create their own weather, and it is usually raining close to them.

We were warmly dressed and enjoyed being out on the deck with Sue and Warren to watch the approach to the glacier.

Brenda and the approaching view of the Holgate Glacier. The Holgate Glacier is described as a tidal glacier, I'm guessing because it extends to the edge of the sea and tidal forces help break pieces off it.

The enormity of this ice wall begins to dawn on you as you approach. It's not so impressive from a distance, but as you watch apparently tiny features develop into huge cracks and peaks, it becomes more awe inspiring.

Rod and a Holgate Glacier view.

There are great jagged peaks above an enormoust ice wall. In some areas it is dirty with carried debris, and in others it shows the subtle blue tint of the pure ice.

This smaller glacier on the way out of the fjord was also very interesting.

You could see the blue light from its crevasses and got a good sense of scale as the tour boat passed it.

We really felt like we had been in the presence of a glacier when we could see it from a distance and then approach, hear its cracks, pops and groans, see the blue light in its crevasses, and travel through the ice floes which had broken off its face. We felt very blessed.