Victoria, British Columbia, 9/30/2024, National Geographic Venture
Aboard the
National Geographic Venture
Canada
A stunning sunrise split the crisp morning air as flocks of scoters cut through the mirrorlike Salish Sea surface as we parted them on our day's ad-Venture to Victoria, British Columbia. We arrived at this ancestral home of the Lekwungen people (turned historical gold-rush boomtown turned British colonial capitol) on Canada's fourth National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.
Orange shirts, community gatherings, and half-flown flags surrounded us during our visit to this special place celebrated by its inhabitants since time immemorial, which looks to exist now with its modern history fully examined-to dispel the myths of "Canada," "British Columbia," and "Victoria" to understand their truths.
May this contemplative spirit guide us forward on our voyage into the wilderness overseen by its ancestors both old and becoming. Onward!
Patrick Webster is a marine media monkey politely pushing pixels as an underwater photographer and science communicator based out of Monterey Bay, California. Raised in the foothills of the French Alps and on the outskirts of Stockholm, Sweden, Pat f...
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Today was our final full day aboard National Geographic Venture and it has been a perfect final end to an already exciting, adventurous, and fulfilling experience here in the Pacific Northwest. Throughout this trip we’ve seen so many extraordinary examples of pristine beauty in nature and today continued that trend. As we woke this morning guests were treated to one of the most vibrant sunrises possible, with the sky stretching bright pinks, oranges, and purples. Guests gathered on deck while some joined our wellness specialist, Ann Marie, on our sundeck for a stretch class with the best view available. After breakfast, we split into groups to explore Stuart Island through wooded hikes and breezy Zodiac tours. We continued our adventures this afternoon after repositioning to a nearby marine provincial park, the Sucia Island group. Here we trekked coastal hikes while also exploring on the water via Zodiac tours, kayaking, and paddleboarding. Our evening came to a close with a cocktail hour off the ship, celebrating our trip’s closure around a campfire on Sucia Island’s beach. Throughout this trip our goal each day was to be as open as possible to the world around us, immersing ourselves in the world of First Nations communities, dynamic marine environments, and iconic temperate rainforests. Our hearts are happy, our stomachs are full, and our eyes are already looking forward to more great experiences like this!
As we ghosted towards the harbor entrance in Victoria, BC, the sun seemed to rip a hole in the dark carpet of clouds that was stealing the light from this storied part of North America. The morning dawned cool, and the forecast was for rain, but by the noon-hour we were strolling the streets under blue skies. The temperatures were in the mid-sixties, and it turned out to be a rare October day in B.C.’s capital city on the far-western edge of the world’s largest temperate coastal rainforest! Customs were cleared with very little to-do, and at the civilized hour of 09:00, all were gathered on the dock to head out on our various activities. Some guests were headed to the Royal BC Museum where they were able to explore the region’s art, cultures, and history at a superb level of detail. Those who had signed up for tours of Butchart Gardens and several of the area’s amazing private gardens were treated to lunch on one property where the owner had amassed a considerable collection of automobiles and large-scale trains that spanned the property. Still others went on walking history tours with master recontour, Chris Adams, bicycle tours of the city’s most beautiful outlooks, and food-tasting tours that were far, far above the ordinary! With the opportunity to partake in so many different activities, there was a palpable excitement when guests reunited and shared their experiences of the day aboard busses that swept us off to the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria for cocktail hour. And talk about being far above the ordinary, the featured exhibit, Symbiosis, at the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria, explores the role of fungal communities in forest ecology, and our emerging understanding of communication between the trees! A truly cutting-edge exhibit that blended technology with live mycelium that were actually participating in the making of art! I think it safe to say that none of us had ever seen its like, and it will remain in our memories for a long time to come. Tomorrow we cross back into the U.S. in Friday Harbor, WA, but the events of today have made it hard to leave this most amazing city on the edge of the world. Photos by Jeff Campbell, Sharon Grainger, Alex Rubenstein .
