Cruising B.C.’s Inside Passage and Jackson Narrows Marine Provincial Park

We awakened this morning to mist and sprinkles as the National Geographic Sea Bird made her way up British Columbia’s Inside Passage. Shortly before 7:30, as stretch class was coming to an end and breakfast was about to be served, the PA crackled with an announcement: “If you’re not already out on the bow, you may want to layer up and come join us… our naturalists just spotted a group of killer whales straight ahead.” A flurry of fleece and raingear, binoculars and cameras preceded the procession forward. And there, our wondering eyes feasted on our first whale sighting of the journey northward. As we assembled to watch these amazing marine mammals surface for breaths, another splash came in the waters closer to the ship – a humpback whale was rolling its pec fins to and fro! Our gracious dining room and galley hosts held breakfast while we spent time with these cetaceans.

During breakfast we cruised up the fjord of Jackson Narrows Passage and later in the morning dropped Zodiacs for tours around the area and naturalist-led walks on Susan Island, along the inter-tidal zone and into the dense forest to get our first look at the rich life in this beautiful temperate rain forest. We were greeted by a pair of sandhill cranes, a harbinger of spring.

After lunch we continued heading northbound for Alaska, relaxing onboard, and looking for wildlife along the way. We crossed our fingers to get a glimpse of the rare “spirit bear,” black bears that are white in coloration due to a recessive gene in both parents. They’re found only on a few islands in this part of the world. We didn’t really expect to see one but, ever hopeful, our naturalists were on the lookout. To our delight and surprise, during dinner came a call from the bridge... “Spirit bear on starboard side!” I’ve never seen the dining room clear so fast! Guests, staff and crew emptied onto the decks for this amazing sighting. We watched it amble along the shoreline for 15 or 20 minutes before it disappeared into the woods. Our expedition leader said now we can go home.

At this writing we are headed to Butedale to drop the hook for the night. Sweet dreams!