When we woke up on National Geographic Sea Lion this morning, we were completely covered by fog as we sailed through British Columbia’s waters. Clever and adorable sea otters inspected us curiously as we sailed by. We also saw a humpback whale. It came up close to us, and many delighted guests captured photos and beautiful memories. We sailed into the protected harbor of Alert Bay. Guests then made their way to the Umista Cultural Center, a museum where we observed and appreciated cultural masks and regalia from Alert Bay. Guests later took a hike where they experienced the cultural spirit of the land. Simultaneously, the underwater dive team was busy capturing footage right under the harbor’s docks. Next, we were able to go to the Big House for a rare opportunity to spend time learning about the culture of the area with local people and with guests from our sister ship, National Geographic Venture, which was alongside in the bay. A wonderful day was had by all as we experienced the wonders of Alert Bay.
5/7/2025
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National Geographic Sea Bird
Daajing Giids, Haida Gwaii, Hecate Strait
After an evening cruising from SG̱ang Gwaay, National Geographic Sea Bird made one last stop this morning in Daajing Giids to drop off our cultural interpreters, DeeDee Crosby and Grace Garvie. At dock, we had two unique opportunities. The first, our daily morning stretch class had the opportunity to meet on land, and second, we welcomed the incredible artisan, Aay Aay, aboard. We were familiar with Aay Aay, who we had met two days prior as an interpreter at the Haida Heritage Center. His specialty is a revival of traditional Haida weaving. During Aay Aay’s time on board, he shared with us his personal story about discovering and mastering his art with spruce root, cedar, and wool weaving. He taught us how to hand spin the warp threads that would be the beginnings of a wool piece. After an artistic morning, we embarked on our journey across Hecate Strait to reach our next destination along our expedition, Alaska. This evening, I write as we make our way into Dixon Entrance preparing to wake up to the scenery of the famed Misty Fjords in the morning.
