At dawn, we were cruising west in the beautiful waters of Johnstone Strait. When we turned into Blackfish Sound, the birdlife was abundant – we watched bald eagles catching fish from the surface, saw dozens of rhinoceros auklets, and we glimpsed seals, harbor porpoises, and two humpback whales. We spent the afternoon with the Kwakwaka’wakw people at Alert Bay, learning about the potlatch ceremony at the U’mista Cultural Center, and watching dances performaned by the Tsasala Cultural Group at the Big House.
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.
