A true ice worm (Mesenchytraeus solifugus) on the La Perouse Glacier, Glacier Bay National Park.
Do ice worms exist?
Yes, ice worms do, in fact, exist! They are small worms that live in glacial ice in Alaska, Washington, Oregon, and British Columbia; they have not been found in glaciers elsewhere. Contrary to stories and songs, they do not give glacier ice its blue color and they don't grow to lengths of 50 feet. These myths were made popular by poet Robert Service and the annual Cordova Iceworm Festival in Alaska.
Ice worms belong to the genus Mesenchytraeus, the same genus as earthworms. Ice worms are the only annelid worms known to spend their entire lives on glacier ice. Ice worms can be up to an inch (2.5 cm) long, and can be black or blue in color. The ice worms come to the surface of the glaciers in the evening and morning to feed on snow algae.
Learn more: USGS Water Science School - Glaciers: Things to Know
Related
How old is glacier ice?
How do we know glaciers are shrinking?
Are today's glaciers leftovers from the Pleistocene ice age?
Is glacier ice a type of rock?
How much of the Earth's water is stored in glaciers?
How would sea level change if all glaciers melted?

A true ice worm (Mesenchytraeus solifugus) on the La Perouse Glacier, Glacier Bay National Park.

A glacier stonefly (Zapada glacier) on a snowy backdrop in Glacier National Park. The species is threatened by climate warming induced glacier and snow loss and has been petitioned for protection under the U.S. Endangered Species Act due to climate-change-induced habitat loss.
A glacier stonefly (Zapada glacier) on a snowy backdrop in Glacier National Park. The species is threatened by climate warming induced glacier and snow loss and has been petitioned for protection under the U.S. Endangered Species Act due to climate-change-induced habitat loss.
Ice is pushed away from the hull of the Coast Guard Cutter Healy Aug. 26, 2009.
Ice is pushed away from the hull of the Coast Guard Cutter Healy Aug. 26, 2009.
An ice floe slides down the starboard side of the Coast Guard Cutter Healy Aug. 19, 2009.
An ice floe slides down the starboard side of the Coast Guard Cutter Healy Aug. 19, 2009.
Coxe Glacier, Barry Arm, western Prince William Sound.
Coxe Glacier, Barry Arm, western Prince William Sound.
Trace of Denali fault along north margin of Canwell Glacier.
Trace of Denali fault along north margin of Canwell Glacier.
State of the Earth’s cryosphere at the beginning of the 21st century: Glaciers, global snow cover, floating ice, and permafrost and periglacial environments
Fifty-year record of glacier change reveals shifting climate in the Pacific Northwest and Alaska, USA
Satellite Image Atlas of Glaciers of the World
Global ice-core research: Understanding and applying environmental records of the past
Snow crystal imaging using scanning electron microscopy: III. Glacier ice, snow and biota
Related
How old is glacier ice?
How do we know glaciers are shrinking?
Are today's glaciers leftovers from the Pleistocene ice age?
Is glacier ice a type of rock?
How much of the Earth's water is stored in glaciers?
How would sea level change if all glaciers melted?

A true ice worm (Mesenchytraeus solifugus) on the La Perouse Glacier, Glacier Bay National Park.
A true ice worm (Mesenchytraeus solifugus) on the La Perouse Glacier, Glacier Bay National Park.

A glacier stonefly (Zapada glacier) on a snowy backdrop in Glacier National Park. The species is threatened by climate warming induced glacier and snow loss and has been petitioned for protection under the U.S. Endangered Species Act due to climate-change-induced habitat loss.
A glacier stonefly (Zapada glacier) on a snowy backdrop in Glacier National Park. The species is threatened by climate warming induced glacier and snow loss and has been petitioned for protection under the U.S. Endangered Species Act due to climate-change-induced habitat loss.
Ice is pushed away from the hull of the Coast Guard Cutter Healy Aug. 26, 2009.
Ice is pushed away from the hull of the Coast Guard Cutter Healy Aug. 26, 2009.
An ice floe slides down the starboard side of the Coast Guard Cutter Healy Aug. 19, 2009.
An ice floe slides down the starboard side of the Coast Guard Cutter Healy Aug. 19, 2009.
Coxe Glacier, Barry Arm, western Prince William Sound.
Coxe Glacier, Barry Arm, western Prince William Sound.
Trace of Denali fault along north margin of Canwell Glacier.
Trace of Denali fault along north margin of Canwell Glacier.