Port of Hubbard Glacier cruise port guide

Port of Hubbard Glacier — Hubbard Glacier, United States.

Hubbard Glacier in Yakutat Bay is the longest tidewater glacier in North America at 76 miles, and one of the few in Alaska that has advanced rather than retreated over the past century. It calves with extraordinary frequency and volume, producing a constant display of ice breaking from a glacier face about 350 feet tall above the waterline (and another 250 feet below). Yakutat Bay is accessible to large cruise ships, making Hubbard one of the most visited and most dramatic glacier experiences in Alaska. This is a scenic cruising day — no passengers go ashore.

Getting ashore

This is a scenic cruising day — the ship navigates into Yakutat Bay to view Hubbard Glacier but does not dock. Passengers remain aboard.

Don't miss

• Hubbard Glacier calving — the main event (2–3 hrs at the glacier) — Hubbard is one of the most actively calving glaciers in North America — the face is nearly 6 miles wide and about 350 feet tall above water. Calving events range from small ice chunks to massive wall collapses that send house-sized icebergs into the bay. The sound arrives several seconds after the visual — a sound like thunder or a cannon shot. Position yourself on the bow or forward decks and keep your eyes on the face.
• The 350-foot ice face close-up (At the glacier) — Because Hubbard has been advancing, ships can sometimes approach closer to the face than at retreating glaciers. The scale of the glacier wall — the vivid blue of compressed ancient ice — is the most visually dramatic element. The height of the face above the waterline is roughly equal to a 30-story building.
• Sea otters and harbour seals (Throughout) — Yakutat Bay has abundant marine life — sea otters in the lower bay and harbour seals on the ice floes closer to the glacier. Look for otters floating on their backs in the kelp beds as the ship approaches the bay.
• Icebergs and the turquoise water (Upper bay) — The glacial flour suspended in Hubbard's calving creates vivid turquoise-green water in the bay — the colour is most intense near the glacier face and in calm conditions. The combination of turquoise water, white and blue ice, and the grey rock walls of Yakutat Bay is one of Alaska's great visual spectacles.
• Russell Fiord — the 2002 and 1986 ice dam (Narration) — The captain or naturalist may describe Hubbard's dramatic history of temporarily damming Russell Fiord — the glacier has twice (1986 and 2002) advanced enough to block the fiord entrance, creating a temporary lake until the ice dam broke catastrophically. The geology of this advancing glacier is extraordinary.

Planning your day

Hubbard Glacier is frequently cited by Alaska cruise passengers as the single most impressive glacier experience — the advance, the scale of the calving, and the accessibility by large ship combine to make it the headline event. Ships typically approach from the south through Yakutat Bay in the morning and spend 2–4 hours at the glacier face before departing. The captain will make position-side announcements — listen for which deck and which side of the ship will have the best view at each phase. The bow is the best all-purpose position during the approach; the glacier face viewing may favour a particular side depending on the ship's angle. Dress for the coldest day of the voyage — the wind off the glacier is real even in July.

Know before you go

• 🗣️ Language — English — you're on the ship.
• 📋 Documents — No need to go ashore — keep your ship card handy.
• 🌤️ Weather — Yakutat Bay is in the Gulf of Alaska and receives some of the most intense weather in the region — this is one of the snowiest areas on earth. Summer is the best window but overcast and cold are the norm. Expect 45–58°F at the glacier face, with significant wind chill from the glacier's outflow. Full waterproof gear, fleece and a hat are non-negotiable for deck viewing.
• 📶 Connectivity — No cell service in Yakutat Bay. The nearest small town (Yakutat) is on the shore but ships don't dock there. Ship Wi-Fi only. This is one of the most isolated places accessible by cruise ship.
• ⏱️ Getting back — No shore time — enjoy the day from the ship.

Scenic cruising

Port of Hubbard Glacier is a scenic cruising stretch: ships sail through rather than dock, so the views from the deck are the experience.

Sources: nps.gov/wrst; alaska.org/hubbard-glacier; travelalaska.com