Glacier Bay National Park, 5/8/2024, National Geographic Venture
Aboard the
National Geographic Venture
Alaska
We spent our day enjoying the beauty of Glacier Bay National Park. After hiking in the early morning, we were treated to a welcome by NPS Ranger Hailey and the Tlingit people who have called this land home for thousands of years. As we cruised around the bay in rain, wind, and sun, we watched the beauty of the park reveal itself to us.
Kayvon Malek is an underwater videographer whose work as an expedition guide and in the wildlife documentary industry have taken him pole to pole. After taking a scuba course on a whim in college, Kayvon’s newfound obsession led him to working as a r...
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.
This morning on National Geographic Venture we awoke to calm seas and sunny skies as we cruised through the waterways of Georgia Straight, British Columbia. We spotted two types of pinnipeds from the bow - harbor seals and Steller sea lions. We also got a glimpse of our first waterfall of the trip! The afternoon was filled with Zodiac cruises in Desolate Sound Marine Park that gave us an even closer look at seals and sea lions. We also had the chance to view multiple bird species, including bald eagles, marbled murrelets, surf scoters, and oystercatchers.
