Nanaimo and Georgia Strait, 5/12/2019, National Geographic Sea Bird
Aboard the
National Geographic Sea Bird
Alaska
Yesterday we embarked National Geographic Sea Bird to start our adventure towards Alaska. We traveled 120 miles overnight from Seattle, passing through the Rosaria Strait, to awaken in the calm waters of the Strait of Georgia just east of Vancouver Island. We enjoyed several orientation briefings with our Expedition Leader Rab Cummings, who prepared us for our adventures up north. All the while our eager eyes are keeping watch for wildlife in these bountiful waters.
Born in Southeastern United States, Eryn first discovered the beauty of nature by exploring her neighborhood loblolly pine forests. Her creative nature led her to earn a degree in art, and later expressed itself in a love of exploring the details of ...
This morning, we sailed north out of British Columbia, Canada and entered Alaskan waters. We explored Misty Fjords National Monument, a wilderness area which is part of Tongass National Forest. We were surrounded by steep rock cliffs, snow-capped mountains, U-shaped valleys, and numerous waterfalls. It was simply breathtaking!
Today was the first day we arrived on the Pacific Coastal Islands of Haida Gwaii. We had a beautiful morning sailing into Skidegate. After an early breakfast, we disembarked to take buses north to the community of Masset. Christian White, an incredibly talented carver, showed us his totem pole carvings, it was the celebration of 20 years since one was erected. We got to tour his workshop where he has a canoe in progress. The second group visited the home of James Hart, an accomplished artist who shared some of his work, such as a raven rattle and his bronze shaman statue. The kindness of these men, to invite us into their homes and share their stories, was incredible. We returned to Christian White’s where a feast was prepared with venison stew, Caesar salad with herring eggs, black seaweed flakes, salmon, pickled beach asparagus, spruce tip and fireweed juice, and many more delicious local delicacies. Dances and songs were demonstrated and to finish it all up, there was a dance for the women, followed by a dance for the men. These visits are always special, and we felt honored to be able to visit and learn from the Haida.
Today was another incredible day aboard National Geographic Sea Bird . In the morning, we cruised through the narrow Princess Royal and Glenville Channels, enjoying the incredible misty mountains of the glacially carved coastline. Along the way we got glimpses at numerous seabirds, as well as some humpback whales passing in the distance. Throughout the day, we had some excellent presentations, learning about the migration patterns of humpback whales and the intricacies of expedition diving. In the afternoon, we got creative and tried our hands at watercolor. We’re excited to be arriving at Haida Gwaii overnight and are looking forward to the rest of our time aboard National Geographic Sea Bird .
