Prince Rupert & Cruising South
During the night the MV Sea Lion cruised south through Dixon Entrance. In the morning we found ourselves at Prince Rupert, British Columbia. The town of Prince Rupert was named after the first governor of the infamous Hudson’s Bay Company. In 1906 The Grand Trunk Pacific Railway Company held a competition for a suitable name for their new city. Prince Rupert was picked out of a pool of about twelve thousand names. (see photo below)
Called the “City of Rainbows” this is the most rapidly expanding port on the coast of British Columbia. It is also the third deepest natural harbor in the world, and was once the halibut capital of the world.
After leaving Prince Rupert, the Sea Lion again headed south, spending the day cruising through the Inside Passage. Our day was filled with beautiful scenery, amazing waterfalls, and gray clouds. But they weren’t just plain gray clouds --they were multiple shades of shimmering, smoking gray. Have you ever stopped and just looked at the clouds? They are more captivating then you may think. Throughout our day our staff members offered three lectures. Lisa Sette introduced us to our “wing-footed friends.” Pinnipeds- any mammal from the suborder Pinnipedia, are aquatic carnivorous mammals with all four limbs modified into flippers. In the whole world there are fourteen species of fur seals and sea lions, nineteen species of true seals, and the walrus. These 34 species comprise the world of pinnipeds. Lisa’s slides helped us identify many of these species. Sharon, using the projection microscope, took us up close and personal to the sexual parts of plants. We also received a close look into the lichen community. A lichen is any complex thallophytic plant made up of an alga and a fungus growing in symbiotic association on a solid surface. Dr. Jack Taylor gave our last lecture. He spoke to us about the early days of coastline exploration and map-making.
In the late afternoon our hotel manager treated us to a “Taste of British Columbia.” We were treated to an array of butter tarts, nanaimo bars, chocolate covered strawberries, Vancouver smoked salmon, smarties and a crudités platter. Three teas were also available; Murchies Empress, Rideau, and Seattle Market Spice teas.
We enjoyed our peaceful day, and look forward to tomorrow’s cultural experience at Alert Bay.
During the night the MV Sea Lion cruised south through Dixon Entrance. In the morning we found ourselves at Prince Rupert, British Columbia. The town of Prince Rupert was named after the first governor of the infamous Hudson’s Bay Company. In 1906 The Grand Trunk Pacific Railway Company held a competition for a suitable name for their new city. Prince Rupert was picked out of a pool of about twelve thousand names. (see photo below)
Called the “City of Rainbows” this is the most rapidly expanding port on the coast of British Columbia. It is also the third deepest natural harbor in the world, and was once the halibut capital of the world.
After leaving Prince Rupert, the Sea Lion again headed south, spending the day cruising through the Inside Passage. Our day was filled with beautiful scenery, amazing waterfalls, and gray clouds. But they weren’t just plain gray clouds --they were multiple shades of shimmering, smoking gray. Have you ever stopped and just looked at the clouds? They are more captivating then you may think. Throughout our day our staff members offered three lectures. Lisa Sette introduced us to our “wing-footed friends.” Pinnipeds- any mammal from the suborder Pinnipedia, are aquatic carnivorous mammals with all four limbs modified into flippers. In the whole world there are fourteen species of fur seals and sea lions, nineteen species of true seals, and the walrus. These 34 species comprise the world of pinnipeds. Lisa’s slides helped us identify many of these species. Sharon, using the projection microscope, took us up close and personal to the sexual parts of plants. We also received a close look into the lichen community. A lichen is any complex thallophytic plant made up of an alga and a fungus growing in symbiotic association on a solid surface. Dr. Jack Taylor gave our last lecture. He spoke to us about the early days of coastline exploration and map-making.
In the late afternoon our hotel manager treated us to a “Taste of British Columbia.” We were treated to an array of butter tarts, nanaimo bars, chocolate covered strawberries, Vancouver smoked salmon, smarties and a crudités platter. Three teas were also available; Murchies Empress, Rideau, and Seattle Market Spice teas.
We enjoyed our peaceful day, and look forward to tomorrow’s cultural experience at Alert Bay.
