The Sea Lion was in the fjord called Tracy Arm today. We went cruising in our four Zodiacs around the white and blue icebergs which have fallen from Sawyer Glacier. When a huge piece of the glacier falls into the water, it is called "calving", and there is a terrific slow-motion splash and a thunder-like sound. We saw hundreds of harbor seals all around us, most of whom were mother-pup pairs. Most of the seals were lying on the icebergs because the mothers have come twenty five miles up the fjord to give birth to their pups. We were very careful not to disturb them, because they would slide into the water if anyone got too close.
After lunch, the Sea Lion sailed through Tracy Arm between granite cliffs that ower thousands of feet above us. There were dozens of waterfalls that cascaded down from the snow and glaciers high up on the mountains. We stopped to watch a large black bear feeding on intertidal creatures. The ship anchored near the mouth of Tracy Arm so we could go hiking and sea kayaking.
