Coastal British Columbia, Canada, 9/17/2023, National Geographic Venture
Aboard the
National Geographic Venture
Alaska
The final day of our Great Bear Rainforest adventure was spent in yet another splendidly scenic fjord that juts into the mainland of Canada’s coastal British Columbia. This region has an abundance of fresh water, allowing for more biomass here than in a tropical rainforest. Rain was interspersed with moments of sunshine throughout the day. With our persistent sense of curiosity, desire for exploration, and hope for spotting wildlife, we ventured out for hikes and Zodiac tours.
The rewards were many, as we observed a black bear fishing in a waterfall, a ratfish washed up on shore, huckleberries galore, sandhill cranes, harbor seals, and Steller sea lions.
Lee grew up as a "Nature Girl" in the rural outskirts of New York City, where she developed and expressed her keen sense of biophilia. She expanded her passion for the outdoors when she ventured to the western side of the country and she currently o...
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This is Erin and Alison (Grosvenor Teacher Fellows) taking over the daily expedition report one last time before we head home. Today on National Geographic Venture , we cruised an inlet along the coastal shores of British Columbia. The morning was spent on Zodiacs. We explored the islands and took a nice, casual walk along the coastal beach. With informative talks by our naturalist throughout our journey, we were excited to implement our new learning in this ecosystem. On Zodiacs, we stopped by one coast and spotted a nurse tree with a Sitka spruce growing from it. A kingfisher perched on top of the spruce and then flew past us with its unique musical call. A harbor seal popped over to say hi as well. As we hiked the shoreline, we found ourselves stepping over fallen driftwood. Taking a closer look, we discovered turkey tail fungus and slime mold growing on the fallen trees. Barnacles and remnants of bull kelp were scattered along the shore. Continuing to walk along the beach, we observed interesting rock formations. We are enthusiastic about science and nature. During our time aboard National Geographic Venture , we found ourselves more informed, more engaged, and more passionate about this beautiful ecosystem. We loved the discoveries we made while immersed in this space, and we incorporated the information provided by naturalists who shared their passion and work with us. We know that visiting this land is a special gift, and we look forward to sharing our newfound knowledge, experience, and connections with our school communities. Text and photographs by Grosvenor Teacher Fellows, Alison Katzko and Erin Schmidt
Today, guests on National Geographic Venture walked in reverential silence through Gitga’at Indigenous territory to an observation platform along a salmon stream. The water was teeming with spawning fish. Other wildlife in the area included Steller’s jays, American dippers, ravens, and a band-tailed pigeon. We were thrilled to see several black bears fishing for salmon, as well as their extremely rare white version known as the Kermode bear. We were extremely fortunate to have experienced such magnificence in the wilds of British Columbia, Canada.
The Grosvenor Teacher Fellows have taken over the daily expedition report! This is Alison and Erin, bringing you the day’s highlights from National Geographic Venture . Throughout the night, we cruised to another remote inlet in British Columbia where we enjoyed the coastal old growth forest by kayaking, paddleboarding, and hiking. On the kayaks, we heard the calls of two kingfishers, and we saw upwards of thirty gulls along the shoreline and the cutest harbor seal popping up his head to check us out. On the hike through the forest, we were amazed by the abundance of bear activity. Usually, hikes are through rugged terrain, but this time we walked along our first evidence of bears — the bear path. The bears did quite a good job at making a path through the thick undergrowth! The next piece of evidence was a large, bluish piece of scat left by the bear. Our knowledgeable naturalist Emily checked it out and suggested the bear had eaten salal and blueberries. She said this was a bit unusual as bears often eat more barnacles, crabs, and fish at this time of year. As we continued along the bear path, climbing over deadfall and thick moss growth, we came across more proof of bear activity — the remains of two salmon. One was licked to the bone, and one was left whole (except for the brain). The final piece of evidence was down in the muddy stream — bear tracks. Our naturalist suggested that this elusive bear was indeed a brown bear since the footprint showed the inside toe aligned with the outside toe. With all this evidence, we knew a brown bear was recently in the area! The afternoon was spent cruising through the islands to look for more signs of wildlife. We spotted humpback whales and a black bear feasting by a waterfall. We are excited to see what tomorrow brings! Text and photographs by Grosvenor Teacher Fellows, Alison Katzko and Erin Schmidt
