September 27, 2008
Los Glaciares (“the glaciers”) National Park was created in 1937 and in 1981 was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site. It truly deserves this designation. Today we had the great privilege of visiting the glacier Perito Moreno, named for the explorer and geologist Francisco Moreno. Neither John nor I had ever seen anything like it. It rises 60 meters above the water and spans 14 km across! We were able to see it from a number of different perspectives, including at a distance, from balconies above and facing the glacier, and then from a boat ride on the lake. While observing the glacier the silence is occasionally broken by what sounds like thunder, but it is actually the sound of ice breaking away from the main glacier and crashing into the water. Every few years there is a major rupture in the glacier and a huge portion separates from the main body of ice. Our guide told us that this particular glacier is in equilibrium, and is not shrinking as a result of global warming, but there are others in the park that are retracting. One of the most remarkable things about the glacier is that the ice is actually blue.
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