Inside Passage, British Columbia, Canada
Leaving Southeast Alaska in our wake during the night, our day begins in the fog as the National Geographic Sea Bird arrives in Prince Rupert, British Columbia. As the fog lifts we clear customs and go ashore to meet one of the First Nations of the Pacific Northwest, on this day the Tsimshian people. At the museum of Northern British Columbia we learn the importance of salmon and cedar in their culture. We are then invited into the long house where, dressed in vibrant regalia, some of the elders and next generation share with us stories and dances that show us how alive their culture is today.
During the afternoon we continue south along the Inside Passage. It was warm and sunny on the bow as the National Geographic Sea Bird entered Grenville Channel, a long fjord between the mainland and Pitt Island, which guards the Inside Passage from the open Pacific Ocean to the west. There is barely a ripple on the water and the air is filled with the sweet aroma of the cedar trees. We are not the only ones navigating this narrow channel. Along the way we pass a humpback whale headed north, which appeared to be a solitary juvenile animal, followed shortly by a tug and tow, also of a smaller variety and also headed north.
But perhaps the best event of the day, better than our visit to Prince Rupert, better than the warm sunshine and smell of cedar on the bow – we had dessert before dinner – Nanaimo Bars with cocktails. And yes, they are made in Canada.
