Vancouver Island, 9/10/2019, National Geographic Quest
Aboard the
National Geographic Quest
Alaska
After a late showing of “The Princess Bride” last night (oddly, many aboard seemed to know most of the words!) we had a very leisurely morning on National Geographic Quest today with a sumptuous brunch on offer as we cruised south along the east coast of Vancouver Island. In the afternoon we disembarked for walks on Wallace Island.
Andrew was born in Adelaide, South Australia and (mis)spent his youth surfing and kayaking in the ocean, as is the case for many Aussies! After graduating from medical school, he spent a year working as a surgical resident in Santa Barbara, Californi...
Today was a lovely introduction to the expectations of this temperate rainforest. Our morning was spent cruising towards Desolation Sound in search of wildlife. We had an incredible presentation from our Tlingit guest speaker, Jim Thomas, and an introduction to smartphone photography with a presentation from Photo Instructor Alex. After lunch, guests had two rounds of Zodiac tours into Prideaux Haven, a stunning glacially carved archipelago filled with sea stars, algae, ducks, and the misty mystical-ness of British Columbia. It was a fun full day on board National Geographic Quest !
On this voyage, northbound is a key word. Backtracking southward might seem odd, then, but it’s worth doing to reach the lovely seaside city of Victoria. British Columbia’s provincial capital boasts one of Canada’s most friendly climates and consistently scores high on livability rankings. This was our only port call with a big city feel; Greater Victoria’s population nearly tops 400,000. Today was bright and breezy, ideal for checking out town on one’s own or joining a range of tours guided by local experts. We wandered expansive gardens at the peak of spring beauty and strolled along the waterfront, regaled with tidbits from the city’s century-plus of colonial history. We zipped around on e-bikes and incorporated food and drink into our exploration of town. We listened, rapt and with open hearts as guides from the Songhees Nation of the lək̓ʷəŋən (Lekwungen) people shared generously from their stories, culture, and daily lives, welcoming us to the land they’ve called home since ancient times. Evening meant one more outing, this one with a bit of style, as we gathered to cap off the day at the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria for cocktails and hors d’ouevres. As the sun set, we rejoined National Geographic Quest and set sail, northbound.
Last night, we set sail from Elliot Bay during a beautiful sunset. We headed north towards the San Juan Islands and awoke as we lowered anchor at Sucia Island. For the first half of the day, guests and staff explored the island on foot, taking in the dappled sunlight through the forest of Western red cedar, Douglas fir, broad leaf maples, and madronas. Groups saw interesting geologic formations and sighted harbor seals among many species of seabirds. After a lovely lunch, we explored more of Sucia Island, this time by water. Guests kayaked in Echo Bay and took Zodiac tours around the island. The warm, sunny weather, incredible plant and animal sightings, and high spirits made this first full day on our Treasures of the Inside Passage expedition one for the books.
