This is why visitors come to Alaska—to see glaciers as magnificent as Dawes—and getting there is half the excitement. From Stephens Passage, your ship will turn into the glacially carved fjord of Endicott Arm, the southern sister fjord to Tracy. However, Endicott is special. It’s the fjord less travelled, and at its head, Dawes Glacier. But first, the 31-mile fjord. Sheer granite walls. Plunging waterfalls. Spruce and hemlock trees clinging to the steep sides. It is the definition of pristine. Look for “bergy bits,” floating chunks of glacial ice, some looking more like sculptures, some with resting seals on top. Keep an eye open for bears, mountain goats and whales, too. As we approach the glacier, listen for thunderous cracks and have your camera ready. Dawes is an active tidewater glacier that recedes daily causing calving, where huge hunks of ice plunge into the sea. At 600 feet tall and a half-mile wide, this blue-hued, powerful glacier may be the highlight of your Alaska cruise.