Spectacular blue ice glitters in Straits of Mackinac, leaving many in awe

It's a scene that leaves many in awe. Ice shards, glittering a hue of blue, rip from the Straits of Mackinac's frozen water. 

This natural phenomenon attracts locals, tourists and photographers, who hope to capture the perfect moment when the sun hits the frozen water just right, allowing the bright blue ice to shine vividly. 

Steve Baker, 69, of Indian River, is a retired veterinarian and serves on the board of Citizens National Bank in Cheboygan. He took photos of the blue ice, which the bank reposted on Facebook. The bank's post of Baker's blue ice photos went viral locally with the post receiving more than 200 shares. 

Baker said he was coming back from photographing snowy owls with his friend when they decided to stop by the Straits of Mackinac. 

"Our attention was drawn to the slabs of ice along the shore and we soon were exploring the Mackinaw City shoreline, searching for the what we hoped would be, the blue ice that can occur when the sunlight hits the clear ice," Baker said. 

Baker said when he was taking the photos, the wind chill was below zero, so they had to retreat back to the car a few times to thaw out their fingers and camera batteries. Baker said the ice was about 10 to 15 feet tall and the scene was spectacular. 

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"Conditions were just right and many of the ice slabs glowed a brilliant blue with the bridge in the background," he said. "I have seen blue ice many times over the years with March of 2018 being the most spectacular, and this current blue ice is rather small in comparison, but still spectacular to view." 

Staci Goodale, 45, of Kingsley, took her daughter to see the blue ice in person. 

Goodale and her husband own an ice cream parlor in Curtis called Goodale's Sweet Spot. She needed to visit the ice cream store to take care of some business and decided to take her daughter along, so she could see the natural phenomenon. 

Goodale's daughter, Mikayla Tyson, 18, has always wanted to see the peculiar-colored ice in person. 

"Even from the shore, you could see the blue, and once you were out there it was even better," Goodale said. 

Many people made seeing the blue ice into an activity or date. Julie Suggitt, 37, is a business owner and designer. She owns Sew U.P. Style Co., a rustic chic boutique in Mackinac Island. 

Suggitt said she and her boyfriend went to the blue ice patch to see the spectacle themselves. While walking on the lake, she said the water was clear, and you can see to the bottom. 

Suggitt said the blue ice is definitely worth the drive as well. 

Why does this happen?

Although it's misleading, the ice isn't actually dyed blue. This natural spectacle happens when the lake is clear with no bubbles, Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory Field Scientist George Leshkevich told the Free Press in 2018. When short wavelength light penetrates into the clear, frozen lake, light scatters in the water below and reflects back through the ice. 

The scene is spectacular in photographs and mesmerizing in person. But Baker urges those who are willing to trek to see the blue ice to be careful. 

"It's a little bit risky, so that's why they kind of discourage people from walking out there," he said. "It's a relatively small area, but when the sun hits that just right, it's a brilliant blue."

Reporter Omar Abdel-Baqui contributed to this report,

Contact Slone Terranella: STerranella@freepress.com and follow her on Twitter @SloneTerranella. 

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