Exploring the British Columbian Archipelago’s Most Remote Sacred Site By Marc Cappelletti I am walking in the footsteps of chiefs and carvers, warriors and weavers, shamans and slaves; people as connected to the land as the very trees from which they once made their homes. The ground is soft. It is sacred. And it lies at the edge of the world—Haida Gwaii, British Columbia. We are at the ancient village of SGang Gwaay Llnagaay, formerly known as Nan sdins or Ninstints, on the eastern edge of SGang Gwaay (Anthony Island).
When we, as Canadians, talk about our whole country, we say “from coast to coast to coast.” The three coasts feel very different underfoot. In the west, deep moss makes a trail that feels like walking over sofa cushions; in the east, long grasses swish and slap against your boots; and up north rocks and rivulets form tiled patterns over the permafrost. It was the west coast that convinced me to start working at sea.
Newfoundland’s Gros Morne National Park is one of the few places where you can walk on the Earth’s mantle and also cruise glacially carved freshwater fjords.
In this episode of Expedition Spotlight, join Cultural Specialist Susan Flanagan as she reveals what discoveries are in store on our Canadian Maritimes and Newfoundland expedition.
We have moved to the north part of Santa Cruz Island and this area is considered to have some of the nicest white sand beaches and climates of this island. We visited Cerro Dragon and had the opportunity to encounter the Galapagos land iguanas, the namesake of this hill. After the visit on land, we dedicated the rest of the day to water activities, and we encountered a variety of sea creatures during our outings. We followed this up with a circumnavigation around Daphne Major Islet to admire its geology and fauna. Wine tasting was happening at the same time, during a beautiful sunset on the observation deck. This was the best way to end this wonderful day of adventure.
Naiseuseu, on the island of Beqa, has become a favorite place for us in Fiji. It was a joy to be there again for community visits, and the meke (song and dance) at Lawaki Beach House. After a full morning, we spent the afternoon at sea en route to Vanuatu.
This morning National Geographic Endeavour II anchored at Santa Cruz Island. We started the day visiting the Charles Darwin Foundation and the Giant Tortoise Breeding Center. During this visit we had the opportunity to see babies as well as different morph types of giant tortoises. Afterwards, we headed to the highlands of Santa Cruz to visit a local hydroponic farm. Here we saw how the lettuce we consume on board grows with this environmentally friendly technique. In the afternoon we enjoyed a delicious lunch at the highlands, and we had the opportunity to see the giant tortoises along their migration route. It was beautiful and a great learning experience!
High swells prevented landing on Anacapa Island this morning, so we anchored off the protected side and enjoyed extended Zodiac cruising through intermittent misty fog. We saw (and heard) many sea lions on the beaches and watched the young ones perform ‘investigative circling’ around the Zodiacs. A pair of harbor seals swam in the kelp canopy and the skies were filled with soaring pelicans and western gulls. We also learned about the giant kelp, and many sampled a piece, generally conceding that it was ‘salty bland’. During brunch, we traveled across gently rolling seas to Prisoners Harbor on Santa Cruz Island, passing through a large pod of long-beaked dolphins. Some peeled off to ride our bow wave, gracefully rolling and looking up at us while we looked down on them. Afternoon activities consisted of three varieties of hikes, each offering sightings of the endemic island scrub jay and the lovable island fox. Heavy rains during the previous winter created a ’50 Shades of Green’ scene, punctuated with colors of many different flowers. Cloudless skies added to the overall magic. After a final dinner and introduction of the hotel staff, we watched the traditional guest slideshow, reliving precious memories.
This morning we sailed into a gorgeous sunrise as we made our way to Taveuni. A pod of pilot whales spotted in the morning was a good sign for the great day that lay ahead of us. It started with us traveling to the village of Waitabu. Here, we participated in a sacred kava ceremony. The ceremony was followed by performances of dance and music by the people of Waitabu. The gracious community also had fresh fruit and baked goods for us to try. We then headed to Bouma National Heritage Park. Here we had a short walk to the most amazing waterfall and guests swam in the refreshing waters. We returned to National Geographic Orion for lunch then shortly after, we jumped back into our Zodiacs. We jetted over to the Waitabu Marine Park for an afternoon snorkel. It was an amazing day in Fiji, full of memories that will last a lifetime.