A pocket of beautiful sunlight shone on the totem poles of the Haida Heritage Center as we made our way past the town of Skidegate and into port in the community of Daajing Giids this morning. After breakfast, groups got on buses and headed to the trailhead of Spirit Lake. Our Haida cultural interpreter, Elsie, welcomed us to the trail and told us the story of Wasco, a supernatural being, part wolf and part orca, that makes its home in this area. Our hikes took different groups to different locations, and a beautiful time was had by all as we walked in a lush forest surrounded by so many shades of green. After lunch back on the ship, we took to the buses again for the Haida Heritage Center. Guided tours of both the inside and outside grounds of the center helped orient and inform us of the incredible history of the Haida people, who have lived on these islands for over 14,000 years. As we set sail during evening recap, a double rainbow appeared in the western sky – an incredible way to end this special first day in Haida Gwaii.
5/5/2025
Read
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.
