This morning the National Geographic Sea Lion weighed anchor in Khutze Inlet and continued on its north bound journey through the narrow channels of the central British Columbia coast. We took another spin by the old cannery of Butedale (1911-1966) in hopes that the elusive white bear might reveal itself but the rare bear was nowhere to be seen. Princess Royal Island is British Columbia’s fourth largest island (next to Vancouver Island, Graham and Moresby) and was named by Captain Charles Duncan after his sailing sloop the Royal Princess in 1788 while trading for sea otter skins between Haida Gwai, and Princess Royal Island. In the absolute absence of infrastructure, it is hard to imagine what this coastline was once like. Between the sea otter trade, canneries and their respective fishing fleets, the pulp/shingle mill at Swanson Bay and steamships frequenting this coast it was once quite a bustling area relative to today. After going around Gribbell Island we then headed up the long and narrow Grenville Channel where an ancient fault line beneath helped form the landscape surrounding us. Possibly the most dramatic part of the Inside Passage the channel narrowed to about a quarter mile width with the emerald forest seemingly within reach. Both Grenville Channel and adjacent Pitt Island were place names left by Vancouver on his 1793 surveying expedition. William Pitt became the prime minister of England at age 24 and while head of government saw England through one of its most tumultuous periods. Enjoying the calm waters of protected passages, we now approach the wide but shallow Hecate Strait and Haida Gwai!
5/15/2024
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National Geographic Sea Bird
Inian Islands, AK
The drizzling rain of the early morning cleared off for the start of our Zodiac tours through the dazzling Inian Islands. The Islands are incredibly special due to their geographic location. As the northernmost opening to the Inside Passage, tons of billions of gallons of water funnel in from the Pacific Ocean and cause an oceanic phenomenon called upwelling, where cold, nutrient dense water rises to the surface. Marine animals flock to these waters for the availability of food and resources. We were able to view sea otters, sea lions, and many bird species. The Zodiac tours had some of the most amazing views of the coastal waters, spruce covered islands, and wildlife. We ended the morning with a visit to the Tidelines Institute, a non-profit educational institute founded by Lindblad Naturalist and PhD in climate science, Zach Brown. The afternoon was filled with presentations, briefings, and our guest slideshow to end the evening during our transit up to Sitka. It was a fantastic ending to a great trip.
