Our morning was filled with wildlife viewing from the bow of National Geographic Quest. Early on, we saw our first Pacific loons and rhinoceros auklets. A distant flurry of bird activity turned out to be five bald eagles, more Pacific loons, and many Bonaparte’s gulls all feeding together. We figured it might be a bait ball of fish. Moments later, we discovered a pod of killer whales nearby and realized the birds might have been feeding on the leftovers of a killer whale breakfast. We could not confirm, as we turned the ship to spend the rest of our time with the orcas. In the afternoon, we traveled to Alert Bay, where we disembarked the ship. We had a very special cultural experience on Cormorant Island with a welcoming ceremony by the Kwakwaka’wakw, one of the Indigenous peoples of the coast of the Pacific Northwest. We enjoyed a tour of the U’mista Cultural Centre. It was another beautiful and fun day here in British Columbia!
5/11/2024
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National Geographic Quest
Calvert Island
The Hakai Research Institute is a former fishing lodge that was converted to an ecological observatory in 2009. Nestled in beautiful coastal British Columbia, it is surrounded by pristine old-growth forest, white sand beaches, and tidal inlets. A gem of the Pacific Northwest, the Institute invited Lindblad Expeditions and our guests to visit and explore the remarkable ecology of her mountains and shores. National Geographic Quest made her maiden landing at the Institute today, and it was an incredible day. Guests were able to choose from a variety of casual, moderate, and aerobic hikes, traversing through temperate forest, muskeg, beaches, and tide pools along the way. For those interested in marine exploration, Zodiac cruises probed the glacially-carved edges of the island. All were then invited to explore the grounds of the Institute and talk with the directors, who were happy to share their passions and history with us.