Juneau Wildlife Whale Watching & Mendenhall Glacier. In the early 20th century, Mendenhall Lake began to form in conjunction with terminus retreat. Nugget Falls, with Mendenhall Lake and shore in middle distance, with pioneering shrubs alder and willow in the foreground. Be amazed by the 13-mile (21-kilometer) Mendenhall Glacier, and take to the water on a whale-watching cruise. Such a transition can have huge implications Long-term mass wastage linked to climatic trends is responsible for thinning of the lower glacier and leaving the terminus vulnerable to buoyancy-driven calving and accelerated retreat. Mendenhall Glacier flows into Mendenhall Lake. Enjoy the best of Juneau's nature and wildlife on this unforgettable half-day tour. Mendenhall Glacier is a lake-calving glacier in southeastern Alaska, USA, that is experiencing substantial thinning and increasingly rapid recession. Back at the Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center in Juneau, the U.S. Forest Service is demonstrating how melting glaciers provide an opportunity to connect people to the seriousness of climate change. Photo by Mary Stensvold. Pioneering shrubs and herbs on the lake margin. 315 reviews. MENDENHALL GLACIER, SOUTHEAST ALASKA By Eleanor Boyce RECOMMENDED: Advisory Committee Chair Chair, Department of Geology and Geophysics APPROVED: ... glacier has undergone dramatic retreat. Note the brownish carpet of mosses, lichens and short sedges in the spaces between the shrubs.