After a night of riding the swells across Hectate Strait, we woke to calm waters alongside Mary Island. Coffee in hand, we watched three humpback whales just off the unique square lighthouse. After breakfast we entered Behm Canal and the Misty Fjords National Monument Wilderness. Here, we have a Lindblad tradition where guests travel ahead of the ship via Zodiac and photograph National Geographic Sea Lion as she comes through Owl Pass. On her port side is a massive natural rock formation that resembles the face of an owl. Further up, the calm waters at the head of Rudyerd Bay allows for fun Zodiac rides and kayaking. Sediments in the shallow waters sparkled with golden glitter flakes of pyrite. We wrapped up the day with cocktail hour on the bow as we paused in the glorious God’s Punchbowl off Rudyerd Pass.
- Daily Expedition Reports
- 09 May 2022
Misty Fjords National Monument Wilderness & Owl Pass, 5/9/2022, National Geographic Sea Lion
- Aboard the National Geographic Sea Lion
- Alaska
Kimberly Baldwin, Naturalist
Family vacations to the Jersey shore engendered a deep love affair between the ocean and Kimberly Baldwin. But growing up in Pennsylvania proved challenging for a hopeful marine biologist. College afforded the opportunity to earn a B.S. in Marine Bio...
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Voyage to Alaska, British Columbia and Haida Gwaii
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5/4/2025
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National Geographic Sea Bird
Masset, Haida Gwaii
Today was the first day we arrived on the Pacific Coastal Islands of Haida Gwaii. We had a beautiful morning sailing into Skidegate. After an early breakfast, we disembarked to take buses north to the community of Masset. Christian White, an incredibly talented carver, showed us his totem pole carvings, it was the celebration of 20 years since one was erected. We got to tour his workshop where he has a canoe in progress. The second group visited the home of James Hart, an accomplished artist who shared some of his work, such as a raven rattle and his bronze shaman statue. The kindness of these men, to invite us into their homes and share their stories, was incredible. We returned to Christian White’s where a feast was prepared with venison stew, Caesar salad with herring eggs, black seaweed flakes, salmon, pickled beach asparagus, spruce tip and fireweed juice, and many more delicious local delicacies. Dances and songs were demonstrated and to finish it all up, there was a dance for the women, followed by a dance for the men. These visits are always special, and we felt honored to be able to visit and learn from the Haida.
5/3/2025
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National Geographic Sea Bird
Inside Passage, British Columbia
Today was another incredible day aboard National Geographic Sea Bird . In the morning, we cruised through the narrow Princess Royal and Glenville Channels, enjoying the incredible misty mountains of the glacially carved coastline. Along the way we got glimpses at numerous seabirds, as well as some humpback whales passing in the distance. Throughout the day, we had some excellent presentations, learning about the migration patterns of humpback whales and the intricacies of expedition diving. In the afternoon, we got creative and tried our hands at watercolor. We’re excited to be arriving at Haida Gwaii overnight and are looking forward to the rest of our time aboard National Geographic Sea Bird .