Aialik Glacier

A tidewater glacier is one that flows all the way down to the sea, so its face stands as a cliff of ice rising straight out of the water. Aialik is one of the most active in the park, and boats often idle a safe distance away while passengers watch for the next calving, when a slab of ice peels off and thunders down.

The blue color of the ice comes from how tightly the glacier is compressed, squeezing out the air until only deep blue light escapes. Bergy bits and small icebergs drift away from the face, sometimes with harbor seals resting on top.

The waters below the glacier are rich with life. Sea otters float in rafts, harbor seals haul out on floating ice to rest and give birth away from predators, and seabirds including puffins, kittiwakes, and murres crowd the cliffs and the water. Farther out, the tours often encounter sea lions, and whales are seen through the summer.

That combination of a great calving glacier and abundant marine life is what makes a Kenai Fjords boat tour so memorable, and Aialik Bay is one of the best places in the park to experience both at once.

The only way to reach Aialik is by water, most commonly on a full-day tour boat from Seward, though experienced sea kayakers also visit with guides and water-taxi support. The outer coast is open to the Gulf of Alaska, so seas can be rough and the weather cold and wet even in summer, and warm layers and rain gear make the trip far more comfortable.

Boats and kayaks keep well back from the glacier face, because calving ice sends out waves and chunks of ice with little warning. Watching from a safe distance is not only the rule, it is also the best way to take in the full scale of the ice.

The closest Boutel™ stays, so you can turn this stop into an overnight. Each is a place we chose through independent editorial review, never a paid placement.

Aialik Glacier is a large tidewater glacier at the head of Aialik Bay in Kenai Fjords National Park, Alaska. Flowing down out of the Harding Icefield, it ends in a towering cliff of blue ice that meets the sea and regularly calves, sending huge chunks of ice crashing into the water. It is one of the most popular destinations of the boat tours that leave Seward, both for the drama of the calving ice and for the sea otters, seals, and seabirds that fill the bay. Reached only by boat or kayak, Aialik is a classic way to experience the tidewater glaciers the park is famous for.

Aialik Glacier can only be reached by water, since no roads lead into that part of Kenai Fjords National Park. The most common way to see it is on a full-day glacier and wildlife boat tour departing from the harbor in Seward, which crosses Resurrection Bay and travels along the outer coast into Aialik Bay. Experienced sea kayakers also visit the area, usually with a guide and a water-taxi drop-off. Because the route is on open, exposed water, tours run mainly in the summer season, and trips can be affected by weather and sea conditions.

Calving is when chunks of ice break off the face of a glacier and fall away, and at a tidewater glacier like Aialik they crash directly into the sea, often with a loud boom and a splash that sends out waves. It happens because the glacier is constantly flowing forward while the sea, waves, and its own weight undercut and stress the ice front. Watching for a calving is one of the great thrills of visiting Aialik, though boats and kayaks always keep a safe distance, since falling ice and the waves it creates can be dangerous. The calved ice then drifts off as icebergs and bergy bits.

Aialik Bay is rich with marine wildlife, and a tour to the glacier is as much a wildlife cruise as a glacier visit. Sea otters are commonly seen floating in rafts, and harbor seals often haul out to rest on the floating ice near the glacier face, where they are safer from predators. Seabirds abound, including puffins, kittiwakes, and murres, and Steller sea lions gather at haul-outs along the coast. Through the summer, tours frequently encounter whales as well. This abundance of life, set against a great calving glacier, is a big part of what makes the trip so memorable.

The best time to visit Aialik Glacier is during the summer season, roughly from late spring through early fall, when the tour boats run out of Seward and the weather is at its most manageable. Summer offers the longest days, the most active wildlife, and the most reliable schedules, though the outer coast can still be cold, wet, and rough at any time. Because the trip is on open water, sailings can be delayed or canceled by weather, so it helps to allow some flexibility in your plans. Warm, waterproof layers make the trip far more comfortable whenever you go.