Coastal British Columbia, Canada, 9/17/2023, National Geographic Venture
Aboard the
National Geographic Venture
Alaska
The final day of our Great Bear Rainforest adventure was spent in yet another splendidly scenic fjord that juts into the mainland of Canada’s coastal British Columbia. This region has an abundance of fresh water, allowing for more biomass here than in a tropical rainforest. Rain was interspersed with moments of sunshine throughout the day. With our persistent sense of curiosity, desire for exploration, and hope for spotting wildlife, we ventured out for hikes and Zodiac tours.
The rewards were many, as we observed a black bear fishing in a waterfall, a ratfish washed up on shore, huckleberries galore, sandhill cranes, harbor seals, and Steller sea lions.
Lee grew up as a "Nature Girl" in the rural outskirts of New York City, where she developed and expressed her keen sense of biophilia. She expanded her passion for the outdoors when she ventured to the western side of the country and she currently o...
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The fjords of the Great Bear Rainforest rarely give a free pass without an excess of humidity. But today, what appeared to be a light rain quickly proved to be a mere bit of seasonal dew. Today’s destination was an island known for its population of bears with a very exclusive set of genes. These bears, described by William Hornaday for his friend Frank Kermode, belong to the only population of American black bears on Earth that contains a small subset of all white, non-albino individuals — the spirit bears. As we were preparing to load our Zodiacs for the first round of hikes, we were surprised by an announcement from the bridge: a spirit bear had been spotted at the mouth of the river that we were to hike along. Since sightings of this mythical beast are so rare, all preparations were put on hold, so that as many guests as possible could view this ghostly being from our bow. Once the white bear had faded from sight we resumed our debarkation. When we arrived at the viewing platforms, we found ourselves at the edge of a stream that was full of spawning salmon! Immersed as we were in this land of life and death, our allotted time slipped by in a flash. Returning to the ship, we began cocktail hour, only to be treated to an amazing display of group bubble-net feeding by the local humpbacks! It simply does not get any better than this! Photographers: Jeff Campbell, Naturalist , and Alex Joseph, Certified Photo Instructor
After a slurry of sunshine, we awoke to our first rainy morning in five days. The cool gray mist was a welcome change and gave us all an opportunity to use the rain gear we packed. Navigating through the narrow channel of a salmon stream, we saw several juvenile and adult bald eagles. Immature eagles are mottled brown in color, until they develop their distinctive white head and tail at the age of five. The rain stopped just in time for our afternoon hikes. Time on land allowed guests of all abilities to explore the mossy wonderland and greenery of the Great Bear Rainforest. Once on board, the evening became festive. We celebrated a guest’s birthday during dinner, and then gathered in the lounge for a fun and competitive game of trivia. Guests enjoyed showing off their newfound knowledge, and together we had a great time laughing and connecting.
Our Expedition Leader woke us all up at 2:16am for the most spectacular Northern Lights show that many of us had ever seen. Green and red danced across the sky above our heads for hours – an amazing way to start the day! After a few hours of sleep, we awoke to a stunning day. The sun burned off what little cloud cover there was in the early part of the morning, giving us a perfect opportunity to explore the tidal meadow and nearby rivers. Some brave souls bushwhacked up the side of a waterfall, while others went kayaking in a river full of salmon. The tidal meadow was an ideal spot for a forest foray for those who did not wish to bushwhack. In the afternoon, we found ourselves exploring places National Geographic Venture had never been! We spotted many seabirds, harbor seals, and even glaciers high in the nearby mountains! This day had something for everyone.
