The day dawned misty, wet, chilled and beautiful! We spent the morning making our way up Tracy Arm to the South Sawyer Glacier. Amazing scenery with high peaks and deep water in the narrow fjord, the water has that green tinge brought on by the glacial flour in the water. The amount of floating ice increased as we neared the glacier. We spotted a few harbor seals resting on the ice and some arctic terns.
We were stunned by the deep blue color of the glacier and learned from Flip Nicklin that bright sunlight makes the blue of the ice look much paler, so we were fortunate to be there on a misty day as the blue of the ice looked deeper and brighter. Zodiac cruises were the activity of the day, and we went in two rounds for the better part of two hours each. We were treated to spectacular glacial sounds and calving activity. We got to see a “shooter” and many cascades of ice going into the sea. By the time we returned to the ship, the whole face of the glacier had been changed, and there was a great deal more ice in the water. We saw many more harbor seals on our way out as well. It was a wonderful evening afterward, highlighted by a great team of naturalists playing the “Liars Club.” Another remarkable day aboard National Geographic Quest
