Green Inlet and Princess Royal Island, 5/4/2024, National Geographic Venture
Aboard the
National Geographic Venture
Alaska
This morning we explored Green Inlet, a long and beautiful bay on the British Columbia shore. Steep, tree-covered hills met the salt water, and as we explored by Zodiacs and kayaks we discovered many bald eagles. All afternoon we enjoyed abundant, warm sunshine as we cruised north along the green, undeveloped coast of Princess Royal Island. Then late in the afternoon we saw whales! We saw distant blows and backs of several fin whales, and at least one humpback whale.
Berit grew up on the rocky shores of Marblehead, Massachusetts, where she explored the marine environment through changing tides and seasons, nurturing a love of natural history and marine biology.
Our last lovely day in the Great Bear Rainforest was full of excitement, education, and awe. After dropping anchor in the idyllic glacier fjord of Green Inlet, we set out to explore the rocky shoreline and forested granitic fjord walls. The dense fog gradually turned into a wispy mist which exposed different peaks and corners of the forest as it moved through. We took turns kayaking through a delightful cove that was loaded with ochre sea stars, rockweed, and blue mussels so thick and dense the rock they were attached to was hardly visible between them. A river otter scurried along the shore and bald eagles soared above us. From the Zodiacs, we visited nearly a dozen thunderous waterfalls that were running hard and fast from the heavy overnight rains. We observed harbor seals observing us back, quietly periscoping their furry heads up and out of the water as we approached the rapids where harlequin ducks and surf scoters held court along the shoreline. After lunch we were greeted by a trio of transient killer whales that swam circles around National Geographic Venture . Later, Certified Photo Instructor Rich Reid was interrupted by humpback whales, which we rushed onto the bow to appreciate.
Today we explored Calvert Island, British Columbia, which is about halfway between Washington state and Alaska. We hiked through damp, green rainforest, we strolled along a sandy beach observing shorebirds and searching for treasures washed up by the tide, and we learned about the Hakai Institute, a teaching and research organization which serves the central British Columbia coast.
The ocean shimmered all around us as we cruised along looking for wildlife this morning. Amidst sightings of harbor seals, sea lions, and many different types of birds, we learned more about the ecosystems around us during presentations from our field staff. This afternoon we went ashore to Alert Bay where we had an amazing, educational, and joyful time experiencing the culture and people that live here. Our undersea team took this time to explore all the beautiful life living underneath the dock upon which we landed to go ashore.
