Flip Nicklin, National Geographic Photography Expert
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Daily Expedition
Reports
15 Sep 2017
Alert Bay and Johnstone Strait, 9/15/2017, National Geographic Sea Bird
Aboard the
National Geographic Sea Bird
Alaska
We found a warm welcome in Alert Bay. A stroll along the quiet waterfront or a short shuttle ride took us to see the excellent collection at the U’mista Cultural Centre, followed by traditional dance, and a feast of fresh salmon and fry bread with jam made from local berries. An afternoon in the sunshine with cavorting killer whales and Pacific white-sided dolphins, great talks, and a movie rounded out a perfect day in British Columbia.
After graduating from Stanford University with a degree in biology and anthropology, Linda Nicklin relocated to Alaska, where she fell in love with the state while spending summers in remote wilderness camps doing botanical surveys for the U.S. Fores...
National Geographic photographer and marine biologist Flip Nicklin is one of the world's leading photographers of whales. Flip has been documenting marine mammal behavior in oceans around the world for the last 40-plus years from the Arctic to Antarc...
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What a beautiful way to spend the last day of this remarkable journey from Sitka to Vancouver. We awoke to the glassy, calm waters of Desolation Sound, part of British Columbia’s beautiful fjord system, for hikes, kayaking, and Zodiac cruises. The afternoon was spent frantically packing since we have really settled into our life on board over the last 15 days!
The morning aboard National Geographic Sea Lion brought serene cruising through the islands off Alert Bay. We were privileged to encounter local cetaceans and spend our afternoon deepening our cultural connections. A heartfelt thank you to the U’Mista Museum and Cultural Centre, wood carver Wayne Alfred, and the T’sasala Cultural Group for enriching our expedition with their art and heritage.
We awoke this morning in the calm protected waters of the Inside Passage in British Columbia. These narrow passages are protected by the numerous islands buttressing the wild coastline; we quietly passed through the misty temperate rainforest on these rich marine channels as the eagles, gulls, shorebirds, and waterfowl barely acknowledged our intrusion. Our morning aboard, however, was busy with a variety of activities and presentations, interspersed with time to soak in the mysterious misty landscape. In the afternoon we had tours in our expedition landing craft through the Jackson Narrows Marine Reserve, where small streams poured out of the dark, green forest. Cedars, hemlocks, spruces and alders overhung the banks, the lush verdant growth starkly clinging in a thin organic layer to the exposed gray granodiorite rocks. The presence of numerous bald eagles and glaucous-winged gulls gave away the presence of spawning salmon in the narrow creek mouths. The brown-stained waters emphasized the intimate connection of the forest and the marine landscape surrounding us.
