Safety at Sea

Yesterday, I attended an offshore Safety at Sea course. If you are into boating at all, I would strongly recommend it. I would call it a great course where you have the daylights scared out of you, but all for a good cause. During the course, one of the instructors mentioned that during the Newport to Bermuda race this year, two boats were sunk.

All of the people onboard survived, but these incidents, much like the course were a stark reminder of the dangers that travelers, adventurers, and explorers face. There is no way to remove the threat of dangerous encounters from the things that we do, but preparation is key. For any and everyone, I will I would recommend a first aid course, at a minimum. Staying prepared helps to minimize the damage of danger.

Discovered: The Quest

Congratulations are in order for the Royal Canadian Geographical Society! On June 9th 2024, a RCGS expedition team discovered the exploration vessel Quest at the bottom of the Labrador Sea. 

While used for many different missions over time, she is notable for being the ship where famed explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton died of a heart attack on January 5th 1922, just a year after he purchased the ship. 

She went on to have many different lives after that. Ultimately, the Quest sank on May 5th 1962. During a seal hunting trip, she was crushed in ice and went to her final resting place. This is a remarkable story, and you can read more about it here:

https://canadiangeographic.ca/articles/wreck-of-quest-famed-antarctic-explorer-sir-ernest-shackletonsk-last-ship-found-in-labrador-sea/

Epilogue: Travel Sick

 A few days before the cruise ended, we returned to our stateroom and found this letter on our door:

A gastrointestinal (GI) virus was spreading onboard the ship. There were six of us in our group. All of us felt fine. After dinner, a few of us took advantage of the drink package that we'd purchased. My particular poison? Buffalo Trace Manhattans. And I'd had plenty. The next morning, I woke up feeling every cocktail that I'd had. That's normal. However, after breakfast, I felt my own GI problems. After experiencing them for the third time in an hour, I knew something was wrong. 

I got cleaned up and we had one more excursion for the cruise. Ketchikan, where we would do the Lighthouse, Totems and Eagles ferry excursion. I felt awful. In the hour before we boarded the van to go to the ferry, I saw the inside of the Ketchikan Visitor's Center bathroom twice. I was dizzy and generally unwell. We found a pharmacy and purchased Imodium AD. It helped. I made it through the tour. I did not, however, make it to dinner. My wife came back from the meal and told me restrictions were now in place. People were not allowed to serve their own food at the Windjammer buffet, and diners were not allowed to handle their own bread, butter or salt/pepper shakers in the main dining room.

The next morning, I felt well enough. That night, I tried to proceed as normal. All seemed fine. When we returned to our stateroom the last night of the cruise, this survey was on our door:

I was more than happy to check that someone in the stateroom had GI virus symptoms, although I felt better. 

 Friday morning,  it was time to leave. It was an all hands on deck effort by the Radiance crew to control the breakfast buffet crowd. A lifeguard handed me a plate and napkin-wrapped silverware. An entertainer provided me with scoops of cantaloupe. After breakfast we made it back to my hotel room. I felt the same old feeling again and rushed to the bathroom as I screamed in frustration. 

***

I am in a Facebook group for this particular cruising. Around the time that I got sick, someone who was coming for the next cruise posted that they'd received notice of a delayed check-in time due to a deep cleaning, and they were wondering what was going on. The posts continued after our cruise ended in Vancouver, B.C. That day, passengers reported not being allowed to make connecting flights on their way home. When they were finally allowed to deplane, they were being met by medical personnel and people from the Centers for Disease Control. 

 If you'll recall the first picture in this post, the letter states that personnel would get complimentary treatment for the virus but one person in the Facebook group reported that they were still charged for this. Money could be one reason for people not reporting this. However, my first thought is that one major cause is the customer base for the Alaska cruises. In 2022, I took my first cruise. It was a Caribbean cruise and it had a younger crowd. 

 The Alaskan crowd was overwhelmingly older. As a person of color, I found most of them to be less friendly. Myself and others in my group witnessed uncomfortable behavior. While waiting for the first Mountie's presentation, I personally witnessed a man sneeze into both hands and wipe it on the fabric chair that he was sitting in. Another morning at breakfast, I watched a man in front of me lick his fingers to remove something sticky and then pick up tongs...then he realized that he grabbed the wrong ones and then picked up the ones next to the ones he'd just touched. People would open mouth cough and sneeze as you might see a child do. If they were doing this, then there's no wonder that a GI virus popped up onboard. 

However, the discomfort increased. One night, four of our group settled in for a show. Two of them struck up a conversation with a couple behind us. The couple immediately took the conversation sideways, saying that they were from South Texas, but they left because the "wetbacks pushed everybody north." They went on from there, also talking about their hopes for the upcoming election.  The next night, another elderly couple sat behind us to watch another show. They clapped for every single person who came on that stage, except the Entertainment Director...who is a person of color. 

On one hand, it can all be harmless. A person can't control a cough, or a sneeze. A person may be too old or too sick to pay attention to handwashing. A person may come from a culture where it is acceptable to harbor offensive or dangerous beliefs about those different from them. In America, there is a constitution which protects lots of things-freedom of speech being one of them. Also, germs are tough...no, really...they are. However, what is the cutoff point? When are these things no longer an excuse, and we have a common standard of behavior to rely on? Turns out, it is a thing. Royal Caribbean has one. I'm sure every travel operator has something similar. Some of the things we saw skirted the lines. Other things crossed them.

The Radiance of the Seas is under the CDC's Vessel Sanitation Program. At the time of publishing, the second outbreak is not on the website but I think it will be eventually...after all, this was the second outbreak in as many months. It is easy to think that food is the cause, or that there may be rogue workers on the ship who are causing this...however, based on what we observed, those two things do not seem like likely options. My prayers are with all those who work in the maritime industry, but especially those in the cruise ship industry. If there are any updates to this experience, I will post them.  However, my wife and I are not letting this deter us...we are already working to book our next trip.

Update:

https://bc.ctvnews.ca/united-plane-undergoing-deep-cleaning-after-cruise-ship-passengers-fall-ill-on-vancouver-houston-flight-1.6910662

Alaska: Ketchikan's Lighthouse, Totems and Eagles Tour

 

I did not know much about Ketchikan, Alaska. This was the last stop on our cruise, and by that point, we were a little bummed to be on the last half of the trip so quickly. Ketchikan's main draw are the totem poles that can be found there. while this is true of a good portion of Alaska, this is something that Ketchikan still seemed to be known for, in addition to being nicknamed the "salmon capitol of the world."

However, fishing was not on the agenda for us.  We were scheduled for the Lighthouse, Totems and Eagles boat tour. It was a nice tour, roughly three hours. The captain of the ship was Kelsey McNeil, and she was runs a phenomenal company. For reasons that will make sense in the next post, I don't have much more to say about this tour. I would strongly recommend Lighthouse Excursions for a tour in Ketchikan, and I thank Captain Kelsey, Nathan, and the rest of the team for a memorable experience! 

P.S. you must be sure to get the salmon dip recipe....it is to die for!

Alaska: Icy Strait Point and the tale of the whale watching

 

The day after the Skagway and Haines port visits, the Radiance pulled into Icy Strait Point, Alaska. I was not familiar with the port, or the nearest town, Hoonah, but the story is interesting. Icy Strait Point is a private cruise port, established in 2001. The company that owns the port, the Huna Totem Corporation, was established in 1971 as a result of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA) enacted by Congress. According to their website, "Huna Totem Corporation is currently owned by almost 1,600 shareholders whose aboriginal ties are to the Village of Hoonah in Southeast Alaska." The Huna Tlingit are the residential indigenous inhabitants of the area, and are currently roughly 85% of the staff at Icy Strait Point. While it feels like an Alaskan Labadee, Haiti, I feel exponentially better about it knowing that I am supporting a local native entity that is fully in charge of the facilities. Also, I can assure you that they did not disappoint and the experience was exponentially better than the one I had in Haiti.

When you exit the ship's berth and walk the gangway onto land, you immediately walk into a visitor's center. It was remarkably clean, modern and had a small gift shop available. Out the doors of the visitor's center, you are greeted by a small settlement, complete with a restaurant, other shops, and exhibits. Of note is that originally, this same site was home to a historical salmon cannery. The Huna Totem Corporation made a museum out of the site, so the port has a the feel of a small waterside settlement. I did not see the museum, but would love to on my next visit. Also, they have this very cool statue.

You are also able to take a free gondola to the other end of the port area . It doesn't go very high up, but showcases some of the beautiful lush forest around you. There is also a hiking trail next to it, so I recommend that to anyone. It is a short trail, but it is quite lovely and a good way to walk off the calories you'll likely have consumed in every meal. Just keep on the lookout for bears.

Alas, this green gondola is just a gateway drug, as there is one (red car) that goes up to the top of the mountain that is found at the other end of the green gondola ride. However, it is about $50 to ride to the top. Also, if you need more adventure than going up a mountain in an enclosed car, then you might want to take advantage of the world's largest zipline, the Ziprider, which opened in 2007. 

However, the excursion that we had booked for this port was whale watching. If you do not come to Alaska and do some whale watching, then you are doing your visit wrong! I could describe it, but honestly, just experience it for yourself. The boat that we rode in was very clean, very fast and had a very capable crew. One member of our group staked out a spot all the way back aft and we held on to that little spot the whole time, mixing in with people who would pop in and out back there. That is how we got shots like this one.

 Again, you should definitely do Icy Strait point, if you have the opportunity. It is worth it. Many thanks to team there and the leadership of the Huna Totem Corporation for a wonderful experience. 

Alaska: Haines

 

This is the shortest post about this trip. The same day that the ship pulled into Skagway, we also went to Haines. There were lots of outdoor excursions. This port was clearly for the outdoorsmen, because the town was very sleepy. We got there at 8, and most things were closed. I would love to know why RCCL has Haines this as a stop.

Alaska: Over the Mountain, across the Yukon Border and back to the Start

In August of 1896, a man named Keish, who was a member of the Tagish First Nation, discovered gold in the near Dawson City in the Klondike region of  Canada’s Yukon Territory. While the world did not have the technology that we have today, once word got out that gold had been discovered there, the region became a hot place to be: The Klondike Gold Rush had been born.

The thing to note about that part of the Yukon Territory is that it was a little difficult to get to. First, there were the mountains. There were two main ways to get there: Either the Chilkoot Trail, which was arduous, or the White Pass Trail, which was a lower altitude and overall easier to use (relatively speaking). Once you got over the mountains, then you’d need to sail on Bennett Lake to get to Dawson City. Let’s not forget all the equipment you’d be bringing with you, too. 

If you were one of the prospectors coming from the lower 48, you would still need to secure a ship ride from Seattle or San Francisco to Skagway, Alaska. Skagway was the start of the difficult journey to get to the Klondike. The whole thing was difficult but from 1896 to 1899, over 100,000 prospectors took their chances. This was the backdrop for our port visit to Skagway, Alaska. 

Skagway became important to the maritime industry in that part of the world. It is a rather small town, but it was very nice and the people were friendly. We disembarked the ship at around 7 a.m. and took a bus to the train station. Our bus was supplied by Alaska Coach Tours. Our driver Dwight informed us that he was dropping us off at the train station and he would meet us up the pass in Fraser, BC. After about 30 minutes of getting passengers situated, we embarked on a historic ride.

The route is splendid. It’s a lot of history to give, so I’ll simply link the map. Enjoy these pictures:

They don’t even do it justice. Once we were on the pass, the weather, as you saw above, turns arctic. We even saw a Caribou but I missed getting a picture of it. The line goes all the way to Whitehorse, YT which would get you even closer to Dawson City, but we got off the train at Fraser, BC. 

After a quick passport check, we met back up with Dwight. He gave a humorous and insightful narration as he zipped us through British Columbia to one of those “stations of the cross” as an explorer of the regions in the cold north: The Yukon sign.

I grinned like the Cheshire Cat. When you grew up in a small town and dreamed of traveling the world, you dreamt of doing things like this. Cell Phone reception for hours on end? Not a bit. Drenched from the rain? You betcha. Tired from jet lag, time zone changes, and waking up early for this excursion. Sure. Who cares? This is a life that was only a dream two decades ago!

After saying we’d been to the Yukon, we made our way back into British Columbia. The Yukon swinging bridge site was also the host of a meal of bison chili. It was great. 

My wife and I also got to chat with Dwight. He was from New England and served as a ski patroller in the Air Force. He also did time as a ski bum in Utah way back when. And now here he was, doing the touring season in Alaska. Hell of a life. 

We eventually let him eat in peace and went to check out the bridge and park. Full disclosure about the bridge: After a couple of steps out, I went “nope” and turned back. My wife, ever the braver one, went on and I supported her from the sidelines. 

I decided to simply explore the park and learn about the local history. Also, they did passport stamps and if you filled out a postcard you could send it from here (with Canadian postage, I think).

On the way back, we had one more stop to make, and this one was also neat. Given the remote location of Alaska, most people don’t road trip in and out of the state, which means that there are very few welcome signs. Thanks to Dwight, we spent time at one of them. 

We then made our way back down the mountain. It was a fun and informative ride, and then before we knew it, we were back in downtown Skagway. We decided to explore the town and we were still a little hungry. We went to Skagway Brewery. I had my heart set on the reindeer hot dog, but they don’t offer it anymore, so we had their fish and chips which are popular as well. It was pretty darned good.

We spent the rest of the time exploring the town. It is beautiful, but not much more to do as a tourist. We said goodbye to Skagway and headed back to the ship. 

The Explorers Club's Global Exploration Summit 2024

 

From 15-19 June, the Explorers Club will host the Global Exploration Summit (GLEX) in Portugal.

The Summit is a major event for some of the world's biggest names in the field of exploration. Naturally, it is ticketed and rather exclusive. Ticketing and general information can be found at the link below:

https://www.glexsummit.com/

Alaska: Did Juneau? I Did Not!

 

 

Our first stop was Juneau, the capital city of Alaska. Fun fact: It is the only state capital in the entire country that cannot be accessed by road. You can only reach Juneau by airplane or by boat. On the agenda for this stop was a helicopter ride to a glacier, and some time to explore. We had a couple of hours to kill before we met our tour operator, so we walked around downtown Juneau. We also left our binoculars at home, so the hunt was on to find more. After procuring a pair, we were all set.

The shops in Juneau are very nice. We were surprised by all the upscale jewelry stores. Why there is a need for multiple shops that can sell you a preowned Rolex in a state that is separated from the contiguous 48 states is beyond me. We also staked out the park in downtown, which was next to the water and also the large cruise ship dock. The park featured two Filipino food vendors and a man singing absolutely delightful opera music.

The weather was your typical springtime Alaska weather...a little cold and a little rainy. We decided to warm up by getting coffee at Heritage Coffee Roasting Company. It was fantastic.

The weather cleared up as we made our way to meet our tour operator at the bottom of Mount Roberts. The company we'd chosen was Coastal Helicopters. After a quick check-in, we were whisked away in a van to the local airport. The orientation was very simple and within 20 minutes, we were stepping outside on the tarmac to our awaiting sky chariot. The chariot for this trip was the Airbus AS350 B2. I didn’t realize six travelers could fit, but we did. Four in the back. Two in the front, plus the pilot. And we were off.

I had over 500 hours of flying for my job, and have taken numerous flights for work and personal travel. I have also flown in a helicopter before. However, this trip would be different. As we took off from the airport and flew over nearby neighborhoods, our pilot informed us that he would need to bring the chopper up to 5,000 feet in altitude to fly over the mountain pass that we were approaching. We felt every bit of the mountain pass and the altitude. 

Juneau is home to a large mass of about 140 glaciers called the Juneau Icefield. For most standard cruise ships that visit, the usual glacier that is offered for an excursion is Mendenhall Glacier. We saw that one as we flew by. We landed on Herbert Glacier, which is a bit more remote. I was told that Coastal Helicopters is the only operator in town that has a permit to land on Herbert. It was a special treat. As we bumped our way through the pass and over Mendenhall, Herbert came into view. 

Our pilot lowered us and took us on a fun circle overhead to find a good landing spot, and after an exciting couple of minutes, we landed. Shortly afterwards, our feet touched a remarkable piece of nature.

I can try to describe what I saw. Quite frankly, my words could in no way do it justice. In fact, there isn't a single photo that could do the job either. It was a phenomenal field of white and blue. Mountain stone surrounded us on nearly all sides. I think had it been during the winter months, I have no doubt I would have had an even greater risk of snow blindness, but it being spring, the risk was slightly reduced. We could go play. We ran around like excited children. We drank glacier water from a running stream. It was the freshest water I have ever had in my life. 

After some time, we noticed that precipitation was closing in. A helicopter can ride through it, but for the uninitiated it may be a little uncomfortable. This would be our situation on the return trip. It was bumpy, but we made it. When we returned, we were all so grateful for such a glorious experience.

When we returned to town, lunch was next on the agenda...right as the rain began falling again. This time, there was more than before the glacier trip. It did not stop for quite a while, either. In Alaska, you can recognize that there are lots of iconic places to eat crab (especially when you are on a cruise around SE Alaska) or you can try something unexpected. Remember the Filipino food tents that I mentioned earlier? That's right...that's where we had lunch. Turns out there is a large Filipino presence in Juneau that has been there for decades.

This place had it all: great smells, meat being charred on a grill, and a longer line than the other place. We had to do it. Throw in a little Wayang Sweet Soy Sauce, and we were all good. 

The fact that this was a food stall in the outdoors made no difference to us. We ate our Filipino food in the rain. It was delicious. 

When we were done, we did our souvenir shopping. Sadly, we could not find the capitol. After a couple of hours, our traipse of Juneau was complete. It is well worth exploring if you have the chance.

Alaska: At Sea, Hubbard Glacier and a Mountie

In my mind, glaciers and Mounties are two things that were real, but were always a bit of lore.

After we got underway on the Radiance of the Seas, a ship in the Royal Caribbean Cruise Line (RCCL), I learned just how real both of those things were.

The morning of our first cruising day, I checked the activity schedule and saw a presentation by a Mountie...well, a retired one. "Mountie," is a nickname for a member of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Gord Jamieson wore the uniform for 2 decades. He was so steeped in this world, that he married a fellow Mountie...in 1974, the first class of female graduated from the training academy. 

I found the presentation to be interesting, and it prompted me to research the relationship between the RCMP and the Indigenous Peoples of Canada when I have some free time.

Later in the day, our Captain announced that the ship would be coming up to Hubbard Glacier. It was very large and quite frankly, I was rather awestruck.

Both Mounties and glaciers are very real, and very cool.

World Oceans Week 2024

 

 This week, the Explorers Club in New York City will host their annual World Oceans Week.

The event brings together explorers, environmentalists and other interested parties to discuss the state of the world's oceans and what is being done to protect and preserve them. As always, there are plenty of opportunities for socializing and networking, too.

The events are from 3-8 June. Most events are ticketed and some are members only. Ticketing and general information can be found at the link below:

https://www.explorers.org/special-events/world-oceans-week-2024/