We had one heck of a day aboard National Geographic Venture as we adventured through a marine provincial park in British Columbia. The morning was spent traversing through mudflats to explore a unique ecosystem in this region. The rising tide added an element of intrigue as we made our way back from our hikes. Our afternoon took advantage of that high tide and featured a Zodiac ride up a river that led to salmon streaming by the boats. Not all the salmon were in the best condition though; many were zombified after giving everything they had to their future offspring. It was interesting to see in person the mantra, “spawn till you die.” Luckily, it is not a sad sight to see the salmon in this stage, because they will continue to contribute to their habitat by feeding the surrounding forest; as their bodies decompose over time they will deposit the nutrients that created them back to the land and trees.
9/22/2024
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National Geographic Venture
Green Inlet
Our last day in the Great Bear Rainforest proved to be one full of excitement, education, and awe. After dropping anchor in the idyllic glacial fjord of Green Inlet, we set out to explore the rocky shoreline and forested granitic fjord walls. The dense fog gradually turned into a wispy mist, which exposed different peaks and valleys of the forest as it moved through. We took turns kayaking through a delightful cove that was loaded with ochre sea stars, rockweed, and blue mussels so thick and dense that the rock they were attached to was hardly visible between them. A river otter scurried along the shore and bald eagles soared above us. From the Zodiacs we visited nearly a dozen thunderous waterfalls that were running hard and fast from the heavy overnight rains. We observed harbor seals observing us back; they were quietly periscoping their furry heads up and out of the water as we approached the rapids where they were hunting salmon making their final journeys upriver to spawn. Upon our return to National Geographic Venture , expedition diver Nick Brown shared his extensive underwater video footage from the area. His presentation was interrupted, of course, by whale sightings, which we rushed onto the bow to appreciate.
