The morning began early with a call to wake, for just as the sun was cresting the surrounding mountains, the humpback whales were already busy gathering their pre-dawn meal. Even before the sun gave our cameras enough light to play, we watched them fly their tails toward the sky and exhale with a cacophony of sound. The light played red in the sky, and we stayed with them until we moved south through the weaving pathways that British Columbia provides. Arriving at Butedale, a former cannery and local stopover for post office and other needs, we witnessed a mighty waterfall pouring down from the out of sight lake. Tomorrow provides another enriching cultural experience, allowing today to be one of reflection.
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.
