Tidewater Glaciers. If a glacier is fed by enough snow to flow out of the mountains and down to the sea, we call it a 'tidewater' glacier - the type many people come to Glacier Bay to see. The park and preserve includes 7 tidewater glaciers that break off or 'calve' into saltwater at sea level, and a few others that reach the sea at high tide only. Compared to glacial ice, seawater is warm and highly erosive. As waves and tides undermines some ice fronts, great blocks of ice up to 200 feet may high calve or break loose and crash into the sea. The explosive sound and towering splash can be spectacular. Glaciers / Glacial Features - Glacier Bay National Park & Preserve (U.S. National Park Service)
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