And The Crowd Roared

We landed in the town of El Calafate, Argentina, on our way south. Unbeknownst to me, El Calafate is a major international tourist destination, drawn by the spectacle of the Perito Moreno Glacier (PMG). So today I made use of my stay and joined a tour to see it as well. Located in Los Glaciares National Park nearby, it draws thousands of visitors daily.

I’ve seen many photos of PMG. But seeing it live for the first time left me stunned! The photos I took here doesn’t do my views any justice; it is impressive. The front of the glacier where it meets the waters of the lake is about 3 miles long, and the height is over 240 feet high! (It is however, not the largest glacier in South America.)

But, unlike most people, I came away saddened by the fact that its impressiveness may not be around long. There is a myth following this glacier that, while true some years ago, had become just a fable. Reuters summed it in their 2009 reporting, “Defiant Argentine glacier thrives despite warming.”

The story goes that the glacier has remained largely intact since the day it was discovered by non-indigenous people (i.e. European explorers) back in 1879. If you read mostly tourist descriptions of the glacier, and many articles describing the glacier. you will read this factoid: “Despite most… glaciers worldwide retreating, one of the few unusual glaciers that maintains in a state of equilibrium is the Perito Moreno Glacier” (Wikipedia). Wikipedia even lists its status as “advancing.” (Go ahead, pick any tourist description of this glacier and you will read that myth.)

I appreciated that our guide pointed out this myth. While many may wish the PMG is a sign that global warming is not that severe, the trend says otherwise. Even it’s massive cold armor is no match for what is happening to the earth today.

A number of scientific articles have been published indicating the receding of the glacier. As an example, the scientific website, Research Gate wrote in its abstract, “The Perito Moreno Glacier (PMG) has been known for its exceptional stability in terms of maintaining a constant structure and front position over several decades, unlike most glaciers worldwide. However, this stability has been disrupted over the last three years.” In the report itself, the authors wrote, “The setback suffered in 2022 and 2023 is exceptional and has no historical precedents.”

However, this should come as no surprise to those who understand the seriousness of the climate situation we are in. While some news outlets may be sensational in their reporting, like the Daily News below, the PMG shows that no glacier is immune from global warming.

I was on a boat that took about 60 passengers near the glacier. As we neared the glacier, a giant piece of ice crumbled into the water. The entire crowd roared in approval. “That’s what I came to see,” one passenger exclaimed in excitement.

As another guide once said, “If only people knew what the calving (the term for ice walls falling into the waters) really means now.”

I was saddened too.