On the final day of our expedition we woke to sunny skies and following winds, still cruising south in the Inside Passage of British Columbia, Canada, with Vancouver Island to our starboard side and mainland British Columbia, Canada, to the east. At almost 300 miles long and 12,407 square miles in size, Vancouver Island is the world’s 43rd largest and Canada’s 11th largest island. From our vessel we could see the snow- and ice-clad highest point at slightly over 7,200 feet above sea level.
We used the day to wrap up the photography program, with presentations and one-on-one sessions. The exceptional photo team has encouraged, enlightened, and educated us enough to have the confidence to proceed to higher levels of creativity and enjoyment. This popular and successful program has enhanced guests’ experiences and strengthened the relationship between National Geographic and Lindblad Expeditions.
We left Georgia Strait through the swirling waters of Porlier Pass and cruised through the scenic Gulf Islands. Mount Baker, a Cascade volcano on mainland Washington State, made a stately appearance to the east. There was no shortage of sunshine during our bouts on deck.
In the afternoon we passed through U. S. Customs in Friday Harbor on San Juan Island and then had a chance to wander through the picturesque town on this beautiful day, visiting the whale museum and various shops before returning to the ship for the viewing of the guest slideshow, our festive final recap and farewell dinner. We remained docked for those who wanted to return to town afterwards, and then the National Geographic Sea Lion began the cruise toward Seattle. We will have many fine memories and photographs from this expedition.
