Today was another amazing day aboard National Geographic Sea Lion. In the morning we cruised through Wrangell Narrows, a beautiful channel filled with harbor seals, Sitka black-tailed deer, and countless bald eagles. After lunch we disembarked for various activities, including photo walks around the town of Petersburg, bike rides around the city, and hikes through old-growth forests and muskegs. A real highlight was learning about the medicinal uses of native plants from a local Tlingit naturalist. We talked about traditional uses of red cedar, Devil’s club, blueberry, and much more. We’re excited to cruise up toward Tracy Arm overnight, and are looking forward to the rest of our time aboard National Geographic Sea Lion!
- Daily Expedition Reports
- 27 Apr 2024
Petersburg, Alaska, 4/27/2024, National Geographic Sea Lion
- Aboard the National Geographic Sea Lion
- Alaska
Russell Laman, Naturalist/Expedition Diver
Russell is an award-winning photographer, marine biologist, and explorer from Boston, Massachusetts. His immense love and curiosity for the underwater world started the first time he went scuba diving when he was 8 years old, and has propelled him to...
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Voyage to Alaska, British Columbia and Haida Gwaii
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4/22/2025
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Daajing Giids, Haida Gwaii
Today, National Geographic Sea Lion docked in Daajing Giids and then drove up to Old Masset to visit two Haida master carvers. The luscious smell of cedar was powerful in the carving sheds of both artists. Each carver’s creative space was filled with many projects “in the works”. We were feasted with a traditional meal in the Canoe House that was delicious. After our meal, there were two stores to visit which had Haida art, jewelry, and so much more. We really enjoyed commemorating our time in Haida Gwaii with a treasured purchase or two.
4/21/2025
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Haida Gwaii
Our night was spent traveling south along the Haida Gwaii Archipelago, making our way to our morning destination of SGang Gwaay, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Designated by UNESCO for its importance of being the oldest known Indigenous village where mortuary and memorial poles stand in situ. They were carved and erected in the 1800s in the village of SGang Gwaay Linagaay, representing one of the best examples of a traditional northwest coast First Nations village. SGang Gwaay is located on the southwestern tip of the Haida Gwaii Archipelago, creating quite a difficult place for travelers to reach. The village is in an extremely protected bay where adverse weather is otherwise a constant. Our day was spent being escorted by Haida Watchmen through standing poles, house pits, and standing posts and beams of longhouses. Our group was divided into four groups, and each group had a chance to walk along a boardwalk through the forest and then come into the village to not only see and photograph the site but also take a moment to just be quiet and absorb the presence of the handcrafted carved poles and the presence of the ancestors.