Glaciers
Glaciers are formed when layers of snow become packed together, becoming ice and slowly slide down a mountain valley.
It is nearly impossible to capture, in a photo or in your own mind, the incredible size of a glacier. 
Most of the ones we saw were well over 100 feet tall where they entered the water, some were 300 feet and more.
For views of glaciers from the air go to our Chile page
 
 


As they reach the water blocks fall off of them (called calving) to become icebergs.


This table gives a classification of icebergs by size.
We saw all but the Very Large class during our trip.

The wind has collected a bunch of Growlers together with a few larger ones thrown into the mix.


A mix of Growlers and Bergy bits with a couple of  Small icebergs too.


This would be a Small iceberg.


Icebergs are classified by shape as well as size.

It is called a DOME if it has a rounded top.


If it has one or more spires it is referred to as a PINNACLE iceberg.


One of the first icebergs we saw was a WEDGE type.


If they are flat topped and more than 5 times as wide as they are tall they are considered TABULAR.

This one was easily twice as tall as our ship.
 

If they have a flat top and are not wide enough to be categorized as tabular they are BLOCKY.
 

If they have melted so that they have a channel through them they are referred to as a DRY-DOCK.
 

Others are combinations of these types or are just not classifiable (by me at least).
 

It is often said that 90% of an iceberg is below the surface. 
For others it may be only 70% if the glacier that produced them trapped a lot of air as it was forming.
 

The color of the ice gives an indication of the composition.
If they are blue there is little air in them. 
Very white ones probably have a lot of trapped air.
Some have rocks, gravel and dust ground from the valleys they slid through.


Some bays are cluttered with bergs.


 One berg about to eat another, ice crocodiles, dragons, caves, and other fantastic shapes are everywhere.