Rapper and actor Chris “Ludacris” Bridges recently caused a stir on social media when he kneeled on a glacier in Alaska, scooped water from a crystal-clear pool, and drank it. The video of Ludacris tasting the glacial water went viral on TikTok and Instagram, with many expressing concern about his safety, fearing that the water could be contaminated with giardia, a parasite. However, an expert from the University of Alaska in Fairbanks dismissed the worry as unfounded.
Glaciologist Martin Truffer reassured the public that drinking water from a melt stream on a glacier is exceptionally clean. Ludacris, sporting ice cleats, fulfilled a bucket list item by exploring Knik Glacier, located north of Anchorage. He remarked that the water was the best he had ever tasted, dubbing himself a “water snob.”
Giardiasis, the illness caused by giardia, can result in symptoms like diarrhea and dehydration. Experts advise against drinking untreated surface water to prevent getting sick. While Alaska has a vast expanse of glaciers, climate change is causing them to recede rapidly. Despite this, Ludacris’s glacier water escapade was deemed safe by the glaciologist, as the water he drank had minimal exposure to biological activity.
Alaska’s Department of Environmental Conservation does not recommend drinking untreated surface water and provides guidelines for safe drinking practices for outdoor enthusiasts. Drinking water straight from streams in the wild is not always safe, but in the case of glacial streams, safety concerns are minimal. Ludacris’s experience of enjoying the glacier water without issues is not uncommon, as the icy masses in Alaska cover a significant portion of the state’s landscape.
