Prince Rupert, 9/16/2023, National Geographic Quest
Aboard the
National Geographic Quest
Alaska
Today was a classic in any expedition’s repertoire: The, “Oh no, we gotta go!” day. With wicked weather bearing down on us, our fearless captain and expedition leader made the call to head to the safe anchorage of Prince Rupert. We passed humpback blows as we motored ahead of the winds.
>We settled into a bonus sea day filled with games, readings, and naps. Naturalists Amy and Frankie regaled us with stories of carbon-cycling sparkly whale poops and other tasty, foraged fare. The day’s recap featured storytelling tips from photo instructor Paul and a stormy skit by naturalists Cherese and Sarah.
We made it safely to the welcoming shores of Canada before the storm, with a redoubled respect for the Northeast Pacific and her tempestuous nature. As Uncle Jim reminded us, the mentality for Alaskan seafarers has always been, “The closer the equinox, the nastier it gets.” Tomorrow, we set sail again—onward into the Great Bear Rainforest and the glorious coast of British Columbia.
Patrick Webster is a marine media monkey politely pushing pixels as an underwater photographer and science communicator based out of Monterey Bay, California. Raised in the foothills of the French Alps and on the outskirts of Stockholm, Sweden, Pat f...
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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.
This morning found National Geographic Quest tied to the dock in Alert Bay, British Columbia. We were all invited to the U’mista Cultural Center to view the story of the ‘Namgis people as told by their beautiful artwork and regalia. Walking along the waterfront afforded us views into the daily lives of these fiercely independent people. After satiating ourselves with information of times past, we walked up to the longhouse at the top of the hill overlooking town. The longhouse for the ‘Namgis people is, appropriately enough, guarded by the tallest totem pole in the world. We were invited inside the longhouse; the toasty fire burning in the center was a welcome respite from the rain. Dancers came out and performed several ‘Namgis dances. Dancers young and old were swaying to the beats pounded out on drums. There were several different stories being told by the dancers and we all sat entranced by the beauty and the movement of each. At the end of the performance the dancers came into the crowd and invited us to participate in a final dance circling around the still-raging fire in the middle of the floor. What a pleasure to see the vibrance and pride of a community so well represented in dancers so young.
National Geographic Quest anchored at Jackson Narrows, and we awoke to a foggy, beautiful morning. The sounds of bald eagles against the quiet morning made a comforting setting, as guests enjoyed a cup of coffee on the bow. We got into Zodiacs to zip around and explore the narrows while dodging the rain. Kayakers were able to observe a lot of the wonderful wildlife in the shallows as they enjoyed a paddle. In the afternoon we had a great viewing of orcas. They were in a large pod swimming near the surface and breaching along our journey into Jackson Passage. Our wellness specialist Ava held a dance class after lunch to get everybody up and moving!
