A pocket of beautiful sunlight shone on the totem poles of the Haida Heritage Center as we made our way past the town of Skidegate and into port in the community of Daajing Giids this morning. After breakfast, groups got on buses and headed to the trailhead of Spirit Lake. Our Haida cultural interpreter, Elsie, welcomed us to the trail and told us the story of Wasco, a supernatural being, part wolf and part orca, that makes its home in this area. Our hikes took different groups to different locations, and a beautiful time was had by all as we walked in a lush forest surrounded by so many shades of green. After lunch back on the ship, we took to the buses again for the Haida Heritage Center. Guided tours of both the inside and outside grounds of the center helped orient and inform us of the incredible history of the Haida people, who have lived on these islands for over 14,000 years. As we set sail during evening recap, a double rainbow appeared in the western sky – an incredible way to end this special first day in Haida Gwaii.
9/5/2024
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National Geographic Sea Bird
Glacier Bay National Park, Southeast Alaska
“Glacier Bay Day” is a naturalist’s delight, with its beautiful landscapes, plentiful wildlife, and the majesty of the wilderness. I spent much of the day on the bow, scouring my surroundings for creatures great and small with guests, staff, and crew alike. The day began with views of Lamplugh and Johns Hopkins Glaciers, the latter of which provided ample views of calving and harbor seals. As we continued our cruise through the bay, we were treated to glimpses of bald eagles, red throated loons, and harlequin ducks who flew in front of our bow. Terrestrial wildlife had their moment at Gloomy Knob, where well over a dozen mountain goats roamed the cliffside and four brown bears lumbered through the alluvial plains of the park. I considered the day’s highlight to be our evening cruise past South Marble Island. Tufted puffins, common murres, pelagic cormorants, and gulls of various clades took to the skies while sea otters, Steller sea lions, and a lone humpback whale provided an epic aquatic display.