Exploring the British Columbian Archipelago’s Most Remote Sacred Site By Marc Cappelletti I am walking in the footsteps of chiefs and carvers, warriors and weavers, shamans and slaves; people as connected to the land as the very trees from which they once made their homes. The ground is soft. It is sacred. And it lies at the edge of the world—Haida Gwaii, British Columbia. We are at the ancient village of SGang Gwaay Llnagaay, formerly known as Nan sdins or Ninstints, on the eastern edge of SGang Gwaay (Anthony Island).
When we, as Canadians, talk about our whole country, we say “from coast to coast to coast.” The three coasts feel very different underfoot. In the west, deep moss makes a trail that feels like walking over sofa cushions; in the east, long grasses swish and slap against your boots; and up north rocks and rivulets form tiled patterns over the permafrost. It was the west coast that convinced me to start working at sea.
Newfoundland’s Gros Morne National Park is one of the few places where you can walk on the Earth’s mantle and also cruise glacially carved freshwater fjords.
In this episode of Expedition Spotlight, join Cultural Specialist Susan Flanagan as she reveals what discoveries are in store on our Canadian Maritimes and Newfoundland expedition.
We were in our Zodiacs by 7:30am for a last excursion through the swell and ice of Spert Island and Farewell Rock. Between basalt cliffs, grounded icebergs, and clear turquoise waves, this landscape was one of the most dramatic we have seen. It was also our first opportunity to visit a chinstrap penguin colony. This adventure was under our belts by 9am and we had the rest of the day for brunch, rest, an art tour, waffles for teatime, a presentation by our National Geographic photographer, and our final recap.
Today was a sea day on National Geographic Orion as we sailed up the east coast of New Zealand followed by bottlenose dolphins towards our destination, Tauranga. A sea day on our great ship is always full of activity, starting off the day with presentations from Cultural Navigator Tua and followed by Cultural Specialist and New Zealander Alex Hillary. A fantastic Filipino/Asian themed lunch was prepared by Chef Rannie and his amazing team and ably served by Maître d’ Mio and his spirited team in a very joyous and excited room of hungry guests. After a short rest from lunch, guests were invited down to deck two to judge a Christmas hallway of decorated doors. A competition was held where crew members would decorate their doorways in a Christmas theme, using whatever decorations they could find or make. The Christmas spirit was truly alive with festive colors, decorations, and happy Christmas songs as guests were wowed by the artistry and original creations.
Today was the last full day of our expedition and we explored Santiago Island. We started with a pre breakfast kayaking along Buccaneer Cove, where later in the morning we explored by snorkeling and by glass bottom boat. This place was full of wildlife and dramatic volcanic scenery. During the afternoon we went to Puerto Egas, where some guests decided to go for a hike and others decided to enjoy a relaxing afternoon at the beach. Sea lions were rolling around the shore and blue-footed boobies were plunging along the coast. What a great way to finish the day. Our guests will likely remember this adventure forever.
The phrase, “Red sky at night, sailors delight…” was an accurate forecast for today (sunset last night at Lemaire Channel was stunning). With calm, sunny, high wispy clouds, and cragged peaks emerging from thick blankets of highly sculptured and absolutely white snow, Paradise Bay was indeed a paradise. After breakfast, we kayaked among growlers, bergy bits, and small icebergs, enjoying the stunning vistas and observing the ubiquitous gentoo penguins and several Weddell seals lounging on ice floes. Just before lunch, some of us participated in the time-honored tradition of the Polar Plunge and received a coveted patch attesting to getting really cold and wet. During lunch, we sailed to Danco Island for hikes around the gentoo colony and Zodiac tours through the ice fields. The penguins provided endless amusement as they constantly stole rocks from each other’s nests. A few eggshells were observed, suggesting that at least a few Gentoos had laid eggs, but lost them to the ever-watchful skuas. While the hikers were on shore and the Zodiacs were cruising, six humpback whales spent the afternoon circling National Geographic Explorer, presumably feeding. The blows were close and loud, and at least one mom-calf pair was sighted. It was a spectacular day!
We arrived at Academy Bay early in the morning. Santa Cruz Island has a large population of giant tortoises as well as the breeding center for giant tortoises that belongs to the Galapagos National Park. We had a great time observing tortoises in captivity as well as in the wild. We also had a great opportunity to see the saddleback tortoises as well as the dome-shaped carapace. A very important aspect of the archipelago is not only the giant tortoises but also the unusual vegetation, such as the giant daisies and giant prickly pear cacti. We had a great time exploring this island and observing the wildlife as well as spending some time with the local community.
