We sailed south through the night, crossing the border between Alaska and Canada, and woke up next to Prince Rupert, British Columbia. After brunch, we headed ashore to visit the town and surrounding area. Guests explored the temperate rainforest on foot, getting to know some of the local vegetation and a few of the animal inhabitants. We used hand lenses to look at small lichens and mosses, and enjoyed the view out into the surrounding harbor. At the end of the hike we found a salt marsh, which hosts some unique biodiversity and provides crucial habitat for many intertidal and marine species. Some of the guests also traveled to a nearby cannery museum to learn about the region’s industrial history. We learned about fishing practices from the early 1900s and got a first-hand look at the equipment used to package local salmon for shipping around the world. Other guests explored the many shops, cafes, and museums in town. After a full day, we returned to the ship for dinner, drinks, and the wonderful company on board.
9/22/2024
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National Geographic Venture
Green Inlet
Our last day in the Great Bear Rainforest proved to be one full of excitement, education, and awe. After dropping anchor in the idyllic glacial fjord of Green Inlet, we set out to explore the rocky shoreline and forested granitic fjord walls. The dense fog gradually turned into a wispy mist, which exposed different peaks and valleys of the forest as it moved through. We took turns kayaking through a delightful cove that was loaded with ochre sea stars, rockweed, and blue mussels so thick and dense that the rock they were attached to was hardly visible between them. A river otter scurried along the shore and bald eagles soared above us. From the Zodiacs we visited nearly a dozen thunderous waterfalls that were running hard and fast from the heavy overnight rains. We observed harbor seals observing us back; they were quietly periscoping their furry heads up and out of the water as we approached the rapids where they were hunting salmon making their final journeys upriver to spawn. Upon our return to National Geographic Venture , expedition diver Nick Brown shared his extensive underwater video footage from the area. His presentation was interrupted, of course, by whale sightings, which we rushed onto the bow to appreciate.
