Indian Arm extends 22 kilometres northeast from Vancouver Harbour, a glacial fjord carved during the last ice age when kilometre-thick ice sheets scoured the Coast Mountains into vertical walls. The inlet reaches depths of 210 metres in places, its floor a submerged valley that once carried meltwater from the Garibaldi ice cap. Granite cliffs rise unbroken for 300 metres on either shore, their faces marked by the striations of ice movement that ceased 11,000 years ago. The name itself is a colonial mistranslation—the inlet was historically known as Sḵwimc̓mits by the Tsleil-Waututh Nation, whose seasonal villages lined the shoreline at Belcarra and Silver Falls. Indian Arm remains one of the deepest tidal inlets along the British Columbia coast accessible within an hour of a major city centre. The fjord's north end terminates at Granite Falls, a 60-metre cascade fed by snowmelt from the Indian River watershed. The waterfall flows year-round but peaks in June when late spring runoff reaches maximum volume. Harbour seals haul out on the granite shelves below the falls, their colonies numbering between 40 and 80 individuals depending on the season. Bald eagles nest in the old-growth Douglas fir along the eastern shore, and black bears forage the intertidal zone during low-tide salmon runs in late summer. Indian Arm boat cruises depart from Coal Harbour and Vancouver Harbour terminals, following the same route used by coastal steamships in the early twentieth century when the inlet served as a logging artery. Zodiac-style vessels carry between six and twelve passengers and navigate close to shore, while larger sightseeing cruisers accommodate up to 100 and follow deeper channels. Both vessel types pass beneath the Ironworkers Memorial Second Narrows Bridge, a 335-metre steel truss span that carries the Trans-Canada Highway across Burrard Inlet. The passage through the narrows marks the transition from urban harbour to forested fjord, the Vancouver skyline receding astern as the granite walls close in. The fjord's microclimate shifts perceptibly beyond Belcarra Point. Summer air temperatures can drop 4 to 6 degrees Celsius compared to downtown Vancouver, and morning fog lingers in the inlet until mid-morning when solar warming lifts the marine layer. The water itself remains cold year-round, averaging 9 to 12 degrees Celsius even in August, a legacy of the inlet's depth and limited tidal exchange. These conditions support kelp forests along the subtidal rock faces and cold-water fish species including rockfish and lingcod, which attract both seals and diving birds. The combination of glacial topography, marine wildlife, and proximity to an urban departure point makes Indian Arm one of the most accessible fjord environments in North America.