There are blue-sky days and then there are blue-sky days in the Pacific Northwest. The latter is analogous to providing a lavish five-course meal to someone that has been fasting, and today as the National Geographic Sea Lion continued up the Inside Passage we feasted. Still somewhat sated from the benevolent streak of weather since embarking several days ago, but very content to be served up another dish of sunshine, we took to the decks to marvel at the majestic landscape of coastal British Columbia. Thousands upon thousands of years ago during the Ice Age this route would have been along glacially carved plains flanked amongst series of tectonically formed mountain chains. Today with the ocean level a hundred meters higher, these granite walls provide substantial shelter from the Pacific despite now being islands.
All morning our trusty vessel sliced through glassy calm waters and slipped through narrow fjords. Dahl’s porpoise and the occasional humpback whale are viewed from the bow. Sunscreen is reapplied, rocks disguise themselves as bears and we press ever northwards past countless waterfalls until after lunch we came to Khutze Inlet. Somewhat compelled to get off the ship and verify that all this countryside is in fact real, all onboard took to kayaks and inflatable boats to explore in depth. Away from the rhythmic humming of the ship, a huge variety of birdsong could be heard. Harbor seals curiously approached, poking their almost spherical looking heads out of the mirror-like surface. Finally, after our final meal of the day with a sunset last course, we were treated to a second dessert of endless shining stars that slowly filled the night sky and our memories for years to come.
