Elfin Cove and Inian Islands, 9/10/2019, National Geographic Venture
Aboard the
National Geographic Venture
Alaska
We spent the day near the northern end of Chichagof Island, where Inside Passage waters meet the Gulf of Alaska. We visited Elfin Cove, a tiny year-round community perched on the rocky fringes of a cozy little harbor. Later we boarded Zodiacs to look for marine life in the rich and productive waters nearby, and we found sea otters, sea lions, humpback whales and seabirds.
Berit grew up on the rocky shores of Marblehead, Massachusetts, where she explored the marine environment through changing tides and seasons, nurturing a love of natural history and marine biology.
Today was a lovely introduction to the expectations of this temperate rainforest. Our morning was spent cruising towards Desolation Sound in search of wildlife. We had an incredible presentation from our Tlingit guest speaker, Jim Thomas, and an introduction to smartphone photography with a presentation from Photo Instructor Alex. After lunch, guests had two rounds of Zodiac tours into Prideaux Haven, a stunning glacially carved archipelago filled with sea stars, algae, ducks, and the misty mystical-ness of British Columbia. It was a fun full day on board National Geographic Quest !
On this voyage, northbound is a key word. Backtracking southward might seem odd, then, but it’s worth doing to reach the lovely seaside city of Victoria. British Columbia’s provincial capital boasts one of Canada’s most friendly climates and consistently scores high on livability rankings. This was our only port call with a big city feel; Greater Victoria’s population nearly tops 400,000. Today was bright and breezy, ideal for checking out town on one’s own or joining a range of tours guided by local experts. We wandered expansive gardens at the peak of spring beauty and strolled along the waterfront, regaled with tidbits from the city’s century-plus of colonial history. We zipped around on e-bikes and incorporated food and drink into our exploration of town. We listened, rapt and with open hearts as guides from the Songhees Nation of the lək̓ʷəŋən (Lekwungen) people shared generously from their stories, culture, and daily lives, welcoming us to the land they’ve called home since ancient times. Evening meant one more outing, this one with a bit of style, as we gathered to cap off the day at the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria for cocktails and hors d’ouevres. As the sun set, we rejoined National Geographic Quest and set sail, northbound.
Last night, we set sail from Elliot Bay during a beautiful sunset. We headed north towards the San Juan Islands and awoke as we lowered anchor at Sucia Island. For the first half of the day, guests and staff explored the island on foot, taking in the dappled sunlight through the forest of Western red cedar, Douglas fir, broad leaf maples, and madronas. Groups saw interesting geologic formations and sighted harbor seals among many species of seabirds. After a lovely lunch, we explored more of Sucia Island, this time by water. Guests kayaked in Echo Bay and took Zodiac tours around the island. The warm, sunny weather, incredible plant and animal sightings, and high spirits made this first full day on our Treasures of the Inside Passage expedition one for the books.
