Yesterday evening we left the port of Seattle to start our adventure sailing along the Pacific Northwest. As we sailed north aboard the National Geographic Sea Lion, the city and its buildings became smaller and smaller. We were finally underway for our two week expedition bound to Southeast Alaska. Through the night and through calm waters, we sailed northward passing through the San Juan Islands and entering Georgia Strait. This protected waterway is located between the colossal land barrier of Vancouver Island and the mainland of British Columbia, Canada.
By sunrise, we were not too far south of the town of Nanaimo, a town founded in the mid 1800’s by the coal industry. During our approach to Nanaimo, where we had to stop to clear Canadian customs, we noticed how busy this harbor was. Float planes and helicopters flew above us and international cargo ships waited to be loaded with raw materials to be shipped overseas. After breakfast we docked in the port of Nanaimo, Vancouver Island. After we were done with the easy procedure of clearing customs, we headed back to sea to continue our way north.
To take advantage of the full day of sailing, we got ourselves prepared for the rest of the expedition by having our mandatory briefings. We also learned from our photo team how to take better advantage of our cameras to improve our photo skills. We also had an introduction to some of the marine mammals that we are likely to encounter on this fantastic journey.
Cruising during the afternoon, the cloud cover dissipated a little and the surrounding landscapes were quite stunning. With careful timing we crossed an important passage constriction in the waterway, Seymour Narrows. Since currents can be quite strong here, it is necessary to do it during the evening slack tide. Today we made really good progress to reach our northern destinations, and we are more than ready for the rest of our expedition through British Columbia and Southeast Alaska.
