We awoke this morning to tall cliffs of basalt glowing orange in the early morning light as they rose above the Columbia River. After breakfast, we set sail and passed through the Wallula Gap, a narrow opening in a large wall of rock that rises above the river. We learned about the fascinating geological history of this area and its relationship to the ancient cataclysmic floods that carved the surrounding landscape before we continued up the river for the rest of the morning. Just before lunch, we passed through the locks at McNary Dam and got a quick look at the large fish ladder that allows migrating salmon to bypass the dam. After lunch, we made our way down the river to the Umatilla National Wildlife Refuge for an afternoon of exploration. We explored the shoreline by kayak and got a close-up perspective of the riverside vegetation, including sedges, legumes, willows, and cottonwood trees. As the sunny afternoon continued, we gathered on Zodiacs to explore the channels around the small islands in the wildlife refuge. We saw an amazing diversity of migrating birds and waterfowl, including coots, white pelicans, bald eagles, osprey, crows, ducks, flickers, and Canadian geese. We crossed the river and were amazed to watch thousands of snow geese take flight and fly overhead along the river. After this incredible display of wildlife, we headed back to the ship to unwind with some drinks and a view of a stunning sunset. After dinner, we learned about the Lewis and Clark expedition along the Columbia River before we headed off to bed.
- Daily Expedition Reports
- 17 Oct 2023
The Columbia River, 10/17/2023, National Geographic Sea Lion
- Aboard the National Geographic Sea Lion
- Pacific Northwest
Julia Huggins, Naturalist
Julia is an earth-systems scientist who studies how the interactions between living and non-living parts of Earth’s environments can shape ecosystems and global climate. She is based in Squamish, BC, Canada, and through her research collaborations sh...
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