Exploring the British Columbian Archipelago’s Most Remote Sacred Site By Marc Cappelletti I am walking in the footsteps of chiefs and carvers, warriors and weavers, shamans and slaves; people as connected to the land as the very trees from which they once made their homes. The ground is soft. It is sacred. And it lies at the edge of the world—Haida Gwaii, British Columbia. We are at the ancient village of SGang Gwaay Llnagaay, formerly known as Nan sdins or Ninstints, on the eastern edge of SGang Gwaay (Anthony Island).
When we, as Canadians, talk about our whole country, we say “from coast to coast to coast.” The three coasts feel very different underfoot. In the west, deep moss makes a trail that feels like walking over sofa cushions; in the east, long grasses swish and slap against your boots; and up north rocks and rivulets form tiled patterns over the permafrost. It was the west coast that convinced me to start working at sea.
Newfoundland’s Gros Morne National Park is one of the few places where you can walk on the Earth’s mantle and also cruise glacially carved freshwater fjords.
In this episode of Expedition Spotlight, join Cultural Specialist Susan Flanagan as she reveals what discoveries are in store on our Canadian Maritimes and Newfoundland expedition.
Today we visited the island of Santiago. In the morning, we explored Buccaneer Cove by kayak, snorkeling, and even by glass bottom boat. In the afternoon we visited Puerto Egas. The landscape was full of wildlife and amazing geological formations that offered great opportunities for photography, conversations, and creating wonderful memories with our dear guests.
Today was an opportunity to explore Stanley in a variety of ways. Some of us opted to participate in a 6-mile hike to Gypsy Cove. Despite the rain, the scenery was spectacular. Others opted for a tour of the highlights of Stanley which took them on an adventure around some of the popular attractions. After lunch there was an opportunity for more hikes and a visit to Fitzroy Farm to see a live sheep shearing demonstration. For those that wanted a more relaxing afternoon, they had the choice to explore Stanley at their own pace. The day came to a close with a special presentation by Mensun Bound who helped rediscover the original Endurance .
Our first day of activities on board National Geographic Orion was spent visiting the tropical volcanic island of Beqa. As we disembarked the Zodiacs into the village of Naceva, we were given an enthusiastic welcome by the local inhabitants, and we strolled through the town to explore and inspect handicrafts for sale. In the afternoon, we visited another location on the other side of the Island and after local cultural performances we had the chance to experience the renowned Fijian fire dance. Afterward, we enjoyed snorkeling among the vibrant coral reefs in the bay.
This is one of the islands with a wide variety of wildlife and geological scenery; part of the island is old, and the other half is relatively young. We visited early in the morning and enjoyed a beach stroll before breakfast to admire more of the Galapagos animals. Then we kayaked, went glass bottom boating, and snorkeled at the foot of a bay called Buccaneer Cove, where Darwin disembarked 200 years ago to study the Galapagos ecosystems. In the afternoon we visited Puerto Egas, a magical place full of iguanas, sea lions, sea birds, and land iguanas. There were also plenty of land birds, such as mockingbirds, finches, flycatchers, and more. We ended our day enjoying a BBQ dinner and a musical serenade from our naturalists to our happy guests. Dancing and singing were also part of our great journey exploring this enchanted archipelago.
Today, we visited one of the most dramatic landscapes in the Galapagos Islands. Roca Redonda Island is a paradise for seabirds. As the sun rose above the horizon, our guests were on deck watching the island come to life, with birds swarming around this tiny rock which is actually the tip of an active volcano that plunges over ten thousand feet to the seafloor. We continued navigating south, crossing the equator and celebrating with our guests onboard. Our journey then took us to Punta Vicente Roca on the southwest flank of Ecuador Volcano, just a few miles south of the equator. We explored by Zodiac and snorkeled with turtles, flightless cormorants, and Galapagos penguins—an unforgettable morning! In the afternoon, we repositioned National Geographic Islander II to Fernandina Island. Our visitor site, Punta Espinoza, is on the northeast side. We hiked across uneven, dark lava flows, seeing hundreds of marine iguanas basking on the shore while curious sea lion pups greeted us. Fernandina is the most recent island in the archipelago, and though it may look like a barren rock from a distance, its surrounding nutrient-rich ocean supports a thriving ecosystem.
