After entering Tracy Arm Fords Terror Wilderness Area early in the morning, wildlife was quickly spotted and an announcement was made to the ship. Two brown bears were observed on the beach, and a close encounter with a waterfall awoke many on board.
National Geographic Sea Bird continued up the arm toward South Sawyer Glacier, and once the tidewater glacier was in sight, around 9:00 am, Zodiacs loaded and departed for the face of the glacier. They wove through icebergs of all shapes and shades of blue. South Sawyer calved thunderously, and icebergs cracked and gurgled in the grey, silty sea. On the way back to the mothership, three mountain goats were observed just above the shoreline.
After time in close proximity to the face of the glacier, more wildlife was spotted: a male killer whale, a dozen humpback whales, not to mention all of the birds and harbor seals in Tracy Arm. Later in the day, lectures about glaciers and photography were offered, while humpback whales were seen from the deck and dinner tables into the evening.
