A pocket of beautiful sunlight shone on the totem poles of the Haida Heritage Center as we made our way past the town of Skidegate and into port in the community of Daajing Giids this morning. After breakfast, groups got on buses and headed to the trailhead of Spirit Lake. Our Haida cultural interpreter, Elsie, welcomed us to the trail and told us the story of Wasco, a supernatural being, part wolf and part orca, that makes its home in this area. Our hikes took different groups to different locations, and a beautiful time was had by all as we walked in a lush forest surrounded by so many shades of green. After lunch back on the ship, we took to the buses again for the Haida Heritage Center. Guided tours of both the inside and outside grounds of the center helped orient and inform us of the incredible history of the Haida people, who have lived on these islands for over 14,000 years. As we set sail during evening recap, a double rainbow appeared in the western sky – an incredible way to end this special first day in Haida Gwaii.
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.
