We awoke early today to scan for whales in Chatham Strait. We kept our eyes on the horizon, looking for the characteristic blows of humpback whales. We saw several individual whales before breakfast and then were treated to the incredible wonder of cooperative bubble-net feeding right after breakfast. This was soon followed by a double rainbow on the horizon. What a way to start the day! Throughout the morning and early afternoon, we cruised through the northern end of Chatham Strait and then west into Icy Strait, anchoring after lunch in a protected cove off the Inian Islands. This area is one of our favorites to explore by Zodiac. The waters are lively as the Pacific Ocean meets these islands in Cross Sound. Upwelling and mixing currents make for a great place to experience wildlife like Steller sea lions and sea otters, both of which we saw in great numbers today.
5/5/2025
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National Geographic Sea Bird
Haida Gwaii – Daajing Giids
We awoke to a blanket of calm in the air. A thin fog, blueish light, placid water, and the sights of sleepy boats in the harbor were the archetypical backdrop for the beauty of Haida Gwaii. Our expedition took us off National Geographic Sea Bird to the Haida Heritage Center. Here we had the privilege to be guided through the museum to get a closer look at the art, livelihood, totem poles, and the beauty of the Haida way of life. What we witnessed gave us a small taste of the wonder the Haida have maintained for generations. The afternoon took us deeper into the island, to the rainforests in the interior. Our forest walks took us to the Spirit Lakes where we witnessed the splendor and deep biodiversity among old growth western red cedar and Sitka spruce. Today was both for land and sea, with our undersea team scuba diving at a nearby island and naturalists showing guests the invertebrate life up close that we had been sharing space with on the dock. As the day comes to close, I write from open waters as we make our way south to the island of SG̱ang Gwaay.
