The Sawyer Glacier, located southeast of Juneau in the Inside Passage of lower Alaska, in the Tracy Arm - Fords Terror Wilderness region of Southern Alaska.
The glacier can produced incredible shows when it "calves" - huge chunks of ice break off and tumble dramatically into the near-freezing waters below, as shown in the video footage below.
While the first large cruise ships sailing Alaska over a decade ago tended to visit Glacier Bay, access into the waters of this national park is severely limited by the U.S. Park Service.
As a result, the cruise lines were forced to seek alternate glacier viewing locations when they began to expand their Alaska service, and the Sawyer Glacier has become one of the most popular alternatives (in addition to the Hubbard Glacier).
The glacier itself sits at the end of a spectacular 23-mile fjord (Tracy Arm) that is well worth the trip itself.
If you have ever been to Yosemite National Park, imagine sailing down a much longer and even more spectacular version of Yosemite Valley, with far more, faster running waterfalls - this is exactly what you will experience on your journey up the fjord to the South Sawyer.
When you reach the end of the long, winding, narrow fjord, you come to the glacier itself - the spectacular conclusion to a breathtaking journey.
Coastal (tidewater) glaciers are actually giant rivers of ice that flow at a rate of several feet a day.
When these rivers of ice reach the ocean (or in this case, a remote inlet of the Pacific), they break off into huge hunks - the process known as calving.
The calving show at the end of Tracy Arm can be spectacular, to say the least. The sound of the calving is like thunder, and the wake produced by the largest chunks as they plunge into the water can be impressive as well.
If you are looking to view multiple glaciers, then you are better off choosing a cruise itinerary that includes Glacier Bay (and/or College Fjord).
But if you cannot get to Glacier Bay (or if you have already been), then a visit to the Sawyer Glacier makes for a wonderful alternative.
