After transiting overnight through Seymour Narrows and south along Vancouver Island, National Geographic Venture saw the sunrise midway down the Strait of Georgia. A beautiful and productive body of water, this area is part of the Salish Sea we have been learning about for the past few days. We slept in for a change and were treated to a fabulous brunch, complete with a mimosa or bloody mary. A few talks were presented, an illuminating discussion about smart-phone photography with the photo-team, and a discussion about environmental restoration of this area, from Katie Mills-Orcutt, our naturalist / expedition diver. Low and behold if we didn’t discover a loose group of perhaps a dozen humpback whales! Whales can communicate over vast distances, so while these animals don’t form pods, they certainly were in the same area together, exhibiting what looked like feeding behavior. A mother and calf pair approached the ship slowly, and after twenty minutes or so of the ship being clutched out of gear and drifting, the whale pair swam right next to us! Our afternoon saw us ashore at Wallace Island, one of the Gulf Islands of Canada’s portion of the Salish Sea. We went ashore in the sunshine for leg-stretching walks, interpretive ambles, and a few took to kayaks and Zodiacs for a sea-based tour. The day finished as usual with a fun and entertaining recap from the staff, a delicious dinner from the galley, and libations from the bartenders.
10/20/2023
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National Geographic Venture
Stuart Island / Sucia Island
Today was our final full day aboard National Geographic Venture and it has been a perfect final end to an already exciting, adventurous, and fulfilling experience here in the Pacific Northwest. Throughout this trip we’ve seen so many extraordinary examples of pristine beauty in nature and today continued that trend. As we woke this morning guests were treated to one of the most vibrant sunrises possible, with the sky stretching bright pinks, oranges, and purples. Guests gathered on deck while some joined our wellness specialist, Ann Marie, on our sundeck for a stretch class with the best view available. After breakfast, we split into groups to explore Stuart Island through wooded hikes and breezy Zodiac tours. We continued our adventures this afternoon after repositioning to a nearby marine provincial park, the Sucia Island group. Here we trekked coastal hikes while also exploring on the water via Zodiac tours, kayaking, and paddleboarding. Our evening came to a close with a cocktail hour off the ship, celebrating our trip’s closure around a campfire on Sucia Island’s beach. Throughout this trip our goal each day was to be as open as possible to the world around us, immersing ourselves in the world of First Nations communities, dynamic marine environments, and iconic temperate rainforests. Our hearts are happy, our stomachs are full, and our eyes are already looking forward to more great experiences like this!