On our second day in Haida Gwaii, the sun shone brightly for our visit to a former village, a group of mortuary poles, and the surrounding forest. Everyone was moved by the stories told by our Watchmen guides at the site. Walking through the forest was quite magical as the light dappled the trees and illuminated the mosses and lichen. Mostly everyone also went out on a Zodiac cruise to see the landscape and wildlife from the water. After returning to National Geographic Sea Bird, we were all interrupted at dinner to see fin, sei, and humpback whales spouting in an area known for upwelling.
9/22/2024
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National Geographic Sea Lion
Inside Passage, British Columbia, Canada
We awoke this morning in the calm protected waters of the Inside Passage in British Columbia. These narrow passages are protected by the numerous islands buttressing the wild coastline; we quietly passed through the misty temperate rainforest on these rich marine channels as the eagles, gulls, shorebirds, and waterfowl barely acknowledged our intrusion. Our morning aboard, however, was busy with a variety of activities and presentations, interspersed with time to soak in the mysterious misty landscape. In the afternoon we had tours in our expedition landing craft through the Jackson Narrows Marine Reserve, where small streams poured out of the dark, green forest. Cedars, hemlocks, spruces and alders overhung the banks, the lush verdant growth starkly clinging in a thin organic layer to the exposed gray granodiorite rocks. The presence of numerous bald eagles and glaucous-winged gulls gave away the presence of spawning salmon in the narrow creek mouths. The brown-stained waters emphasized the intimate connection of the forest and the marine landscape surrounding us.
