Dense fog surrounded us in Prince Rupert as we pulled the anchor and began sailing into the mist. We expected the fog to clear in the early morning, but it persisted on the water while some blue sky peeked through above us. On occasion, we were able to see whispers of the shoreline in the Grenville Channel. Eventually, the beautiful temperate rainforest was revealed, and everyone was excited to see a few bald eagles and harbor seals near a channel marker.

After a talk about birds by naturalist Lee Moll in the afternoon, the Zodiac groups boarded the vessels and set out into Lowe Inlet. This inlet was visited by John Muir in 1879 on his first visit to Alaska, and naturalist Shawn Lucas recreated the photograph today. Muir’s poetic words, as well as modern videography and photography, still inspire visitors to the west coast of British Columbia and Southeast Alaska.