Sunday, Glacier Bay
The sea lions we came upon today were amazing. There must have been hundreds of them. Gina tells me the younger sea lions assert themselves here and will eventually challenge the older males who dominate the female population further south.

All in all, they were a pretty raucous crowd, barking at each other loudly. And did I mention the smell? Whew! As we approached the island, I think just about everyone fell over. Holding your nose was not an exaggerated thing to do!

This was my first time seeing a sea otter and I think it has to be one of my favorite animals. I learned a fascinating fact about sea otters: there is a little pouch in the sea otters armpit which is used to store stones. The otters use these stones to break open shells and pry out food.

Since sea otters spend the majority of their lives in the water they eat while floating on their backs with all four limbs resting on top of the water. It is incredible watching them float while using their little stone tools to dig out a meal. They are a blast to watch and they have habits very similar to people.

While walking on the beach today we came across all sorts of unusual things such as this sea star. He must have been nearly two feet in diameter. With the tides being as severe as they are, many underwater creatures become exposed for a while each day. Mussels and barnacles were found attached to many rocks (pictured below) and are actually living. On the right is an anemone.