Boom went the Ice--Glacier Calving: Day 2 Part 4

Day Two:  6/18/2012 Monday

Katie Hoekzema, Harmony Hendrick and I (guests & staff refer to us as "the teachers") had been working with some of the children on board the ship and heard an announcement of another bearded seal off the port side.  I ran out to take a picture of the bearded seal that was lazily chillin’ on an ice floe near the ship. The ship was also right in front of the Lilliehookbreen glacier at this time and I only shot a couple of pictures of the seal when I had to turn and start shooting my camera at the glacier as a couple of pieces of ice were breaking off and falling into the ocean.  Immediately, another chunk of ice broke off, starting out as another small fragment but quickly spreading to a whole section of the glacier, canon balling itself into the calm water below. Oh. My. Goodness. The sound of it…it created a thunderous roar.  Then, when it hit the water it created a mini tsunami.  Incredible--and I almost missed it.  This is called glacier calving, but it looked like an avalanche to me.  My only regret is that I only took still shots instead of videotaping it so I can’t share the amazing, heart pounding sound of this event.  I’m hoping the National Geographic video chronicler (Steve) taped it and it will be part of the video documentary he is creating of our expedition.  I still can’t believe all that has happened on this exhilarating day.  It is almost 1am and the light hitting the ocean and the peaks of Spitsbergen is breathtaking.  I am truly in the land of the midnight sun.  End of day two.

I connected my still shots into a mini silent slideshow, but it just doesn't do justice to this event.