Today was filled with extraordinary beauty. We arrived at the heart of the Patagonia region and looked out at majestic, glistening glaciers. This morning our ship cruised gently and carefully through waterways, fjords and estuaries that offered stunning scenery. We sailed past Mt. San Valentin (13,310 feet), which is the highest peak in the Southern Andes. Fields of ice extend over this mountain and the surrounding hills and from this mountain 19 glaciers were born.
Beginning in the early morning, we transferred a few passengers at a time to a lovely catamaran which took us on a 3½ hour tour to the most famous site in this area, the Mount San Valentin glacier. We were extremely fortunate to arrive at a time when the glacier was extremely active. Our small craft inched closer and closer to the base of the glacier until we were inches away from a large iceberg floating effortlessly in the water directly in front of us.
Once we were situated as near to the base of the glacier as we could be without compromising our safety the captain turned off the engines and allowed us to spend an hour observing the sights and sounds of this incredible natural wonder. Glacier ice ranges from a light to deep blue. It is blue because it is the only color that this extremely dense ice does not absorb. We carefully scanned the huge ice mass in front of us and listened for any signs of impending calving, the point at which a chunk of ice breaks away from the glacier and crashes into the frigid ocean water below.
A few minutes after our arrival we witnessed our first calving. We heard crackling deep inside the ice, then small pieces began falling. All of a sudden the ice began to shift and move. There was a huge crackle and "boom" as an enormous chunk of ice tore away from the main mass and crashed into the sea, creating a large wave which rocked our vessel, causing us to cling onto the sides for stability. Just as suddenly as the calving started it was over. The giant glacier became still one again and was eerily silent. The newly formed iceberg continued to rotate and float in the water until it found a suitable resting pose. Vibrations from the iceberg continued to create ripples in the water causing the crystal clear ocean to shimmer and shine as the sunlight danced across the top. We waited anxiously for any signs of additional calving. We didn't have to wait long. Additional huge chunks of ice continued to fall into the sea as our group responded with exited squeals of delight, "ooos" and "aahs."
Just before we pulled away, the glacier retreated into a lengthy silence and the sea became still and glassy once again. We took one last long look at this majestic sight as our small craft turned to return to our ship. Magnificent natural sites such as the one we just visited serve as an awesome witness to God's perfect handiwork. Northing short of our God's divine intervention could create such spectacular beauty.
For the next two days we will remain on the ship, cruising through the Chilean fjords. Really looking forward to it. Also, I am thankful to be recovering from my illness.
No comments:
Post a Comment