Glacial Lakes Shaped by Mountains and Ice

The blue color of glacial lakes is often not due to a photo filter but rather a result of fine rock particles ground by glaciers interacting with light. Canada’s Lake Louise and Moraine Lake, along with New Zealand’s Lake Tekapo and Lake Pukaki, showcase this principle against a backdrop of mountainous views. At Tasman and Pehoe, you can observe the current glacier terminus and icebergs from nearby land viewpoints, helping you understand the ongoing changes in the lakes.

Argentino and Grey Lakes present a broad water landscape fed by melting waters and icebergs from the Patagonian ice field. We've gathered these actual places with different access methods so you can consider not just the water color but also the formation processes, traffic regulations, altitude, and boat safety. The focus should be on examining the basin where the lake formed and the current position of the ice on the map, rather than just famous snapshots.

Even lakes of the same turquoise color differ in their location of creation and current relationship with glaciers. Distinguishing between areas filled with water from basins carved out by glaciers long ago and lakes that have recently expanded due to terminal retreats can make the landscape appear more three-dimensional. Let’s also take a look at the ice floating on the surface, the moraines at the edge of the valleys, and the U-shaped cross-sections of peaks behind the lakes.

Before your visit, be sure to check roads, shuttles, altitude acclimatization, boat operations, and national park reservations separately. The edges of glacial lakes may be unstable, and there are risks of sudden waves or falling rocks, so please refrain from crossing the control lines for the sake of photography. The water color can change with the seasons, weather, and sunlight, so instead of being disappointed if it doesn’t match certain photos, it’s more meaningful to compare the past terrain and current water flow as indicated on signposts.