The silence. The stillness. The peace. Alaska’s Hubbard Glacier is the largest tidewater glacier in North America and never fails to win the hearts and minds of adventurous travelers. Its effortless ability to reconnect them with nature itself is one of its finest qualities.

An approach to this location off the coast of Yakutat feels like arriving in another world. It appears untouched, pure, treacherous, bitterly cold. A palette of icy blues with jagged textures mesmerizes onlookers as large masses of ice tumble into the freezing waters below.

Safeguarding Alaska’s Hubbard Glacier for future generations

Filmmaker, photographer, environmentalist and explorer from South Africa, Willem van den Heever, has a passion for nature. In this film, he translates the immeasurable beauty and grace that exists in the furthest, wildest corners of our planet. The places that deserve to stay here, as they are, long after us.

This particular Alaskan glacier, which is 76 miles long and 1,200 feet deep, was named after Gardiner Greene Hubbard who was a US lawyer, financier and philanthropist. He was also the first president of the National Geographic Society.

When imagining the phenomenal history of a glacier, it reminds us of the ancient power of the great outdoors and how privileged we are to enjoy it in all its miraculous glory.

Ready to see an Alaskan glacier in person? Learn about Alaska cruises here.