Princess Royal Island was our destination of the morning. Under sunny skies, we took our expedition landing craft to Butedale. This former cannery is under renovation on a grand scale. We walked through the remaining buildings and hiked up to the lake hidden deep in the forest. As we cruised along the shoreline, we were able to get up close to the waterfall that provides the current facility with electricity. In the afternoon we explored the confluence of Campania Sound and Whale Channel, where we found humpback whales and what were possibly fin whales. The definitive white field markings on the fin whales’ lower right jaws were not visible, so perhaps they weren’t fin whales after all—but they were wonderful and appreciated by all on board.
5/7/2025
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National Geographic Sea Bird
Daajing Giids, Haida Gwaii, Hecate Strait
After an evening cruising from SG̱ang Gwaay, National Geographic Sea Bird made one last stop this morning in Daajing Giids to drop off our cultural interpreters, DeeDee Crosby and Grace Garvie. At dock, we had two unique opportunities. The first, our daily morning stretch class had the opportunity to meet on land, and second, we welcomed the incredible artisan, Aay Aay, aboard. We were familiar with Aay Aay, who we had met two days prior as an interpreter at the Haida Heritage Center. His specialty is a revival of traditional Haida weaving. During Aay Aay’s time on board, he shared with us his personal story about discovering and mastering his art with spruce root, cedar, and wool weaving. He taught us how to hand spin the warp threads that would be the beginnings of a wool piece. After an artistic morning, we embarked on our journey across Hecate Strait to reach our next destination along our expedition, Alaska. This evening, I write as we make our way into Dixon Entrance preparing to wake up to the scenery of the famed Misty Fjords in the morning.
