It's purpose was to preserve the glacial environment and plant communities for public enjoyment, scientific study, and historic interest. Glacial ice has a bluish cast because when light hits ice cystals, long wavelength colors are absored while short wavelength colors reflect right back through the ice to your eyes. Much of Glacier Bay is over 1,000 feet deep. Minke, humpback and orca whales are sometimes spotted in Glacier Bay. The scenery throughout Glacier Bay was absolutely breaktaking.
Glaciers form because snowfall in the high mountains exceeds snow-melt.
Eventually, gravity sets the ice flowing downslope at up to 7 feet per day. This photo clearly demonstrates the immense size of these glaciers. There are beautiful mountains like this throughout the park as well. Near Johns Hopkins inlet, several peaks rise from sea level to 6,520 feet within just 4 miles of shore.