We motored into the harbor and approached Albion Dock on a beautiful, cool, clear morning in Queen Charlotte. It was calm in port, and the numerous work and pleasure vessels on the docks reflected in the glassy water. We started our day by loading onto busses to make the 90-kilometer trip to Old Masset to observe master Haida carvers and artists at their trade. It was a beautiful drive along the coast, and we sighted four or five grey whales slightly offshore. What a treat! A fun-filled day of art, dance, traditional food, and a brisk walk through a place of natural beauty in Haida Gwaii.
- Daily Expedition Reports
- 11 May 2019
Queen Charlotte City and Old Masset, 5/11/2019, National Geographic Sea Lion
- Aboard the National Geographic Sea Lion
- Alaska
Robyn Wilson, Wellness Specialist
Robyn was born and raised in Miami, Florida. Her favorite pastime in her youth was spending time on or near the oceans, either on the beautiful beaches of Miami or on boats in the surrounding waters. She became certified to scuba dive at the age of 1...
Read MoreShare Report
Voyage to Alaska, British Columbia and Haida Gwaii
VIEW ITINERARYRelated Reports
5/11/2025
Read
National Geographic Sea Bird
Glacier Bay National Park
We had a phenomenal day at Glacier Bay National Park. The sun was out, as was the wildlife. The bow was the place to be. Please enjoy the dialogue of the day from the bow: Ah, Lovely Sunrise. Dall’s porpoise! Killer whales! Oo, swans! Calving center! Bald eagle on ice. Brown bear, That’s a big one. Bald eagle in nest. I wish someone would find me a marmot. Marmot at 10! Where? Do you see that crack in the rock? To the left you’ll see a tree. Now go below the tree to the round rock. 6 goats plus bonus outcast goat. Low goats on ledge, wedged in nicely. Goats, goats everywhere, and a marmot here or there. Two puffins. Nice beak action. It’s like “I Spy” out here. Low goat at 11. Oh, really low goat. Oh, yea that’s a fella. Goats looking right at us, folks, good goat face. Oh, and whale spots at 1. Oh boy, I’m exhausted. That’s ok, take it one goat at a time. There’s a spout off the point. Classic humpback. Oh, glaucous winged gulls nesting at 2. And otters! Fly by puffins! Porpoising harbor porpoise! Needless to say, we had a good time. Photo by Shannon Malone
5/10/2025
Read
National Geographic Sea Bird
Tracy Arm
As we continued our way north through Alaska, we had a favorite stop of mine in Tracy Arm-Fords Terror Wilderness. We had a rainy day, which I enjoy because we can see at higher elevations since the rain turns to snow and, in turn, the snow feeds the absorption zone of the Sawyer Glaciers. We went out in the Zodiacs and navigated around the icebergs and bergy bits, even collecting a piece for the ice melt-off challenge. Once underway out of Tracy Arm, we saw some humpback whales. One whale had an entanglement of line on its fluke. The line was causing an obvious cut to the marine mammal. The correct authorities were notified about the condition of the whale and location of the sighting. Hopefully the whale will be assisted soon and the entanglement removed. Several other humpbacks were seen shortly after, luckily no entanglements on these. They were demonstrating surface feeding behavior, with one lunge feeding and the other making bubbles to catch its prey.