New Zealand - Glacier Melt

Leading out from the base of Franz Josef Glacier is an ice-melt river.  The water colour is like nothing I've ever seen in a waterway; it was a grayish milk.  In places you can see chunks of ice - that water is cold!  At the start it is a small stream, but as it runs a path to the sea, it merges with waterfalls and other glacier melt rivers.  This photo is taken at the very foot of Franz Josef.  Pressure and friction cause the bottom of the glacier to heat up, melting some of the ice and forming the start of the river.

Here below is a photo I took with a faster shutter speed so you can see exactly how the actual river looks.  This is not a black & white photo - it's full colour!

For more in the New Zealand series, click HERE