Today we awoke before sunrise and made our way onto the buses that would take us up to the small community of Old Masset on the northern end of Haida Gwaii. Our group took turns visiting two incredibly important Haida artists, Jim Hart and Christian White. Jim welcomed us into his home and workshop to share his projects, enrapturing us with his stories along the way. At Christian’s we learned about the totem poles he raised out front, and then he brought us to his carving shed where he was working on a new totem pole and a canoe. The previous canoes he’s carved hung on the walls behind him, telling the story of Haida past and present. We were welcomed back into the longhouse for a traditional Haida lunch, including venison stew, smoked sockeye salmon, pickled sea asparagus, and other wonderful treats. Christian and his family and friends performed several songs and dances for us, which we were so honored to witness. Before heading back to the ship, we were able to stop in some local stores and support Haida artists in the area. A truly special day here in Haida Gwaii!
4/26/2025
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National Geographic Sea Lion
Tracy Arm
After a soggy day in Petersburg, we were thrilled to find our day in Tracy Arm flooded with sunshine instead of raindrops. Winding through the labyrinthine fjord is always an adventure this time of year, and we prepared for a veritable wall of frozen icebergs. But the fjord was surprisingly clear until the final bend, where a thick layer of pan ice stopped us in our tracks. Undeterred, we boarded our Zodiacs, crept below the steep cliffs, and prodded into the pan ice perimeter as far as we dared. Several mountain goats watched us from above, and a couple of curious harbor seals followed in our wake, patiently waiting for the pan ice to melt so they can wiggle onto the massive bergs and pup their young. A handful of humpbacks escorted us north through Stephens Passage, along with some blissfully calm water and more of that rare Alaskan sunshine. We have a long sail ahead of us this evening as we motor more than 160 miles toward mystical Glacier Bay.