Daily Expedition Reports
16 May 2023

Petersburg, Alaska, 5/16/2023, National Geographic Quest

Aboard the National Geographic Quest
Alaska

After transiting Wrangell Narrows in the morning, we arrived in Petersburg before lunch. We disembarked for a variety of activities. Some guests chose active options like biking and hiking while others spent time exploring this authentic and genuine Alaskan fishing town.

Article by

John Pachuta, Naturalist

John’s passion is lifelong learning and sharing what he learns about the natural world with explorers young and old. He grew up in rural Ohio and graduated from Marietta College with a BA in Recreation Management. Wanderlust hit when John decided t...

Photography by

John Pachuta and Bryan Holland

Rangiroa Atoll, French Polynesia

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Please note: All Daily Expedition Reports (DERs) are posted Monday-Friday, during normal business hours. DERs are written onboard the ship only and do not apply to land-based portions of expeditions.

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Friday Harbor and Sucia Island

As we awoke for the last full day of our marvelous expedition together, we set eyes upon the striking lands that are the San Juan Islands. Pulling into the dock at Friday Harbor, located on the largest island, San Juan, we cleared customs smoothly and had a little bit of free time to explore the town. Bustling even at ten in the morning, small shops filled with aromatic coffee, fresh pastries, and sparkly crafts kept our attention until soon it was time to return to the ship once again. We set sail and weaved through the smaller islands. Harbor porpoises glinted in the waves, flirting with the ship and disappearing below. Our arrival at Sucia Island shortly after lunch yielded a remarkable playground for us to explore. The large, horseshoe shaped island with thin islets scattered about offers fascinating geology around every bend. Unique formations in the sandstone caused by algae eating away at the rock create beautiful honeycomb shapes along the shore. The aptly named Fossil Bay has hidden treasures of ammonites and hardened crabs for those with keen eyes and the patience to look. We strolled, hiked, and even kayaked in the flat, calm waters of the bay. We returned to our home one last time to celebrate our journey, including the friends we have made and the memories we won’t forget.

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Victoria, British Columbia

We woke this morning on National Geographic Quest. We didn’t have to think about navigation or weather or sea conditions; the captain and the officers magically got us to Victoria, British Columbia without any of us having to worry. That was not always the case. Since time immemorial, this territory and these waters have been home of the Lekwungen People, a subset of the Coast Salish, who are also known today as the Esquimalt and Songhees Nations. These people navigated the waters in open canoes without the use of GPS and charts. First Nations peoples have called Victoria’s inner harbor their home for thousands of years. Victoria is Vancouver Island’s second largest city with a population of ~91,000 people. It was incorporated on August 2, 1862 and continues to be a very busy port. The First Nations people are no longer the majority in the thriving metropolis, but the culture still peeks out through the western buildings and the very colonized city. Many guests got to learn about the Lekwungen People and the history of the city on the historical walking tour or a visit to the museum. Other guests enjoyed the beauty of the gardens and the secret culinary delights of the city on other tours. We felt lucky to have the sun shining on us for the second day in a row as we explored. The location of the city in the rain shadow of the mountains makes Victoria a fabulous stop for the ship. We could see why First Nations people settled here. Victoria is still a great place to explore by water. The abundance of motorboats and sailboats moored in the many harbors around the coastline provided a picturesque view. When large ships come into the harbors nowadays, they must be piloted by a local pilot. A small pilot boat brings the local captain out to the ship to navigate into the harbor safely. The waterways that National Geographic Quest traveled remind us of the hardships and treasures that the First People experienced long ago. Everyone went to bed exhausted and slightly sunburned as they reflected on the many people who navigate the waters we travel. From traditional canoes to large cruise ships to the smaller National Geographic Quest , Victoria is a treasure on Vancouver Island.

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Wallace Island, British Columbia

As we all awoke aboard our valiant vessel, National Geographic Quest , we were greeted by something we had not come across in quite some time: the sun! Making our way down the Gulf Island, British Columbia’s Sunshine Coast held true to the name. After finishing our breakfast, we mingled about on the decks, photosynthesizing, when we heard multiple voice yelling, “Blows!” Always quick to investigate, our bridge team safely tucked us toward what turned out to be a pod of Bigg’s (or transient) killer whales. These whales, identifiable by their closed saddle patches, gave us quite the show. Five altogether, they took turns posturing towards us. With a dorsal fin almost six feet tall, a large male broke through the water. This was followed by some smaller females and, at the end, a young calf learning to navigate these waters. The whales swam around us for quite some time, enough that we decided to forgo the intended Zodiac tour and instead spend our time with these magnificent creatures. Full of smiles and rosy cheeks from the sun and wind, we had another treat in store. Our guest speaker, Uncle Jim, engaged us with a talk on the pathways of his life that led to becoming a speech writer for the vice president and how he became friends with the highly regarded actor, Marlon Brando. After lunch, we took a short Zodiac ride to shore on Wallace Island. Home to a resort complex in the 50s, a few buildings and artifacts remain. Now a marine park, local cruises shared the dock with us as we relished the sunshine and the opportunity to explore independently or under the excellent tutelage of our expedition staff. Regardless of the chosen path, the island seemed like paradise with sunshine flirting through the waxy madrona leaves that greeted us with each step we took along the salal-lined path. When things seemed like they couldn’t get better, a surprise was in wait as bartender Miranda patiently waited with snacks and blueberry lemonade to quench our parched throats. Blissed out from another spectacular day, we followed the rays of sunshine back to the ship to fill our minds and bellies as we continue south.

Petersburg, Alaska, 5/16/2023, National Geographic Quest

John Pachuta, Naturalist