Most of the morning we were at sea traveling from Kodiak to Hubbard Glacier. We approached the bay around noon, and shortly after that was the Polar Bear Plunge. I had decided weeks ago that I would do the plunge. I arrived early to the aft outdoor pool to get some towels and a table close to the pool ladder. Fortunately it was a sunny day, but a little cool. I wore my sweats over my bikini to stay warm until it was time to plunge.
We had 65 people do the plunge, so it was split into two groups. I was in the 2nd group and all together we jumped into the pool. I expected a chilling experience, but the pool was heated to a nice 82 degrees. So, the true polar part was getting out of the pool into the cool breeze. Air temp was mid 50’s with wind. I am happy that I did the plunge and have a certificate to prove that I did it.
After a quick hot shower we grabbed lunch from the Lido, then headed back to our balcony for bay and Hubbard Glacier viewing. With partly cloudy skies near the glacier, it was fantastic for viewing. It calved a few times and I was able to catch that with my camera. The key is glacier photography is when you hear the thunder look for falling snow. Hubbard Glacier is growing 80 feet per year, so it is very active with calving. I saw it happen 4 times from the balcony.
In the bay keep a sharp eye out for seals. We saw a few on the floating ice posing for our cameras. My tip for Hubbard Glacier, or any glacier, is to keep your binoculars around your neck to look for wildlife and keep your camera on the entire time. With my camera on, I could easily capture pictures quickly. Yes, it drained my battery. But, I had my backup battery fully charged and ready to go. If you are like me and have a DSLR type camera, make sure you have the telephoto on it at all times. It takes too much time to switch back and forth. I took my wider shots from the aft deck on 6 as we headed out of the bay.
I have now been to both Hubbard Glacier and Glacier Bay. My preference is Hubbard since it is much more active. I know people say you have to pick an itinerary with Glacier Bay, but honestly you don’t “have” to do that. Glacier Bay is impressive with the number of glaciers, but if you want to see calving you have a much better chance to see that at Hubbard.
