Ice thunderously breaks away as Johns Hopkins Glacier calves in Glacier Bay, sending towering slabs of blue-white ice crashing into the water below and radiating shockwaves across the fjord. This active tidewater glacier is named Johns Hopkins Glacier in honor of Johns Hopkins University, a designation bestowed during the 1899 Harriman Alaska Expedition, when scientists and explorers systematically mapped and documented the region. The name reflects the expedition’s strong academic influence and the role of research institutions in advancing early glaciological and geological understanding of Alaska’s coastal wilderness. Today, the glacier remains one of the most dynamic in the bay, its frequent calving events underscoring the immense energy, scale, and continual movement that define these polar ice systems. Photographer: Sean Neilson