National Geographic Sea Lion made its way into Petersburg today. This Scandinavian-inspired town was born from one simple idea: a settlement near fishing waters and readily available ice must be worth a pretty penny! Peter Bushman came up with this idea in the early 1900s and found the perfect spot. Right in the heart of one of the world’s most productive fisheries and close to LeConte Glacier, Peter and his crew could fish the rich waters and then put the product on ice, ready for shipping to Seattle. Our guests spent the day exploring Petersburg on bikes or walking in the Alaskan bog nearby, known as a muskeg, a peat bog with high acidity and low nutrients. This section of the forest has led to some interesting adaptations such as shortened growth and even carnivorous plants. What a special day!
5/7/2025
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National Geographic Sea Bird
Daajing Giids, Haida Gwaii, Hecate Strait
After an evening cruising from SG̱ang Gwaay, National Geographic Sea Bird made one last stop this morning in Daajing Giids to drop off our cultural interpreters, DeeDee Crosby and Grace Garvie. At dock, we had two unique opportunities. The first, our daily morning stretch class had the opportunity to meet on land, and second, we welcomed the incredible artisan, Aay Aay, aboard. We were familiar with Aay Aay, who we had met two days prior as an interpreter at the Haida Heritage Center. His specialty is a revival of traditional Haida weaving. During Aay Aay’s time on board, he shared with us his personal story about discovering and mastering his art with spruce root, cedar, and wool weaving. He taught us how to hand spin the warp threads that would be the beginnings of a wool piece. After an artistic morning, we embarked on our journey across Hecate Strait to reach our next destination along our expedition, Alaska. This evening, I write as we make our way into Dixon Entrance preparing to wake up to the scenery of the famed Misty Fjords in the morning.
