I-American Queen Voyages iqala ngesipiliyoni sayo sokuqala ngqa se-Expedition ngomkhumbi wokuqala we-Ocean Victory, owasuka eVancouver, BC May 7, 2022. I-Ocean Victory iphawula ukufika komkhumbi wesikhombisa wemikhumbi ye-American Queen Voyages, ehlanganisa ne-Rivers, Okuhlangenwe nakho kweLakes & Oceans.
Umkhumbi omusha wezivakashi ezingu-186, odalelwe ukufinyelela okuseduze ngomklamo omusha we-X-Bow, uzohamba phakathi kweVancouver, BC, naseSitka, e-Alaska, ohambweni lohambo lwezinsuku eziyi-12 neziyi-13 ngoMeyi kuya kuSepthemba. Izivakashi zingalindela ukuzizwisa kokuvakasha okuseduze e-The Last Frontier, zisebenzisana eduze nohambo lwasolwandle oluyizinkathi kanye namaqembu ohambo ogwini lwase-American Queen Voyages awine umklomelo, ngaphezu kwezazi zemvelo eziqondisa amathuba okufunda ngezandla, nokuningi.
"I-Alaska iyindawo eyingqayizivele lapho ukuze uqale ukuqonda ubukhulu bayo kudinga ukucwiliswa ngesipiliyoni sohambo," kusho uShawn Bierdz, isikhulu esiphezulu se-American Queen Voyages. “I-Ocean Victory izolethela izihambeli okuhlangenwe nakho okuseduze komkhumbi okuzivumela ngempela ukuthi zikhangwe izimangaliso eziningi zemvelo zaleyo ndawo. Sijabule kakhulu ngokwamukela izivakashi zethu zokuqala emkhunjini njengoba siqala uhambo lwethu oluya e-Alaska's Inside Passage.”
Idalelwe ukufinyelela okusondelene ngomklamo omusha we-X-Bow, umkhumbi uhamba ezindaweni ezingahanjwa kancane ze-Alaska's Inside Passage lapho abahloli abanomqondo ofanayo bezothumela ama-kayak nama-Zodiacs nabaholi bohambo, babuke izilwane zasendle ezisekelweni zokubuka ezishelelayo, bafakaze ucwaningo lwasolwandle olwenziwe yiCalifornia. Abafundi basePolytechnic State University ngesikhathi sangempela futhi banezingxoxo ezibandakanya nabaholi bomdabu base-Alaska.
“Njengoba sigubha ukuqalwa kwe-Ocean Victory, ngigqugquzelwa ukukhula kwethu ukusuka kumugqa owodwa wokuhamba ngamasondo amasondo, i-American Queen, ukuya ochungechungeni lwemikhumbi ngalolu suku oluhamba ngomkhumbi eMississippi, eKentucky, eWashington, ePrince Edward Island naseQuebec,” kwabelwana ngawo. UJohn Waggoner, umsunguli kanye nosihlalo we-American Queen Voyages. "Namuhla simema amachweba angaphezu kuka-125 anemikhumbi eyisikhombisa, eqashe ozakwethu abangaphezu kuka-670 - okudlula kude ngisho namaphupho alo mfana wesikebhe esisodwa nje."
Njengengxenye yesipiliyoni sohambo lwe-American Queen Voyages, ulayini ubambisene noDkt. Michelle Fournet, umqondisi we-Sound Science Research Collective, ngesikhathi sokuqala sohambo lwase-Alaska lwe-Ocean Victory. Isazi se-acoustic ecologist esihlonishwayo singuchwepheshe ohamba phambili kwezokuxhumana ngemikhomo yaseNyakatho yePacific, futhi wachazwa kanye neqembu lakhe le-Sound Science Research Collective encwadini ehlonishwayo ethi “Fathom.”
I-Fournet kanye ne-Sound Science Research Collective izosebenzisana nethimba lohambo lwe-American Queen Voyages njengoba umkhumbi uba isengezo selebhu yabo yocwaningo. Ama-Hydrophones azosetshenziswa ebhodini le-Zodiac ukulalela amazwi emikhomo yase-Alaska ngesikhathi sangempela. Izivakashi zizophinda zifunde futhi zibambe iqhaza ekulandeleni imikhomo ngokuhlonza i-fluke ngokulayisha ezazo izithombe zisuka emkhunjini ziye kusizindalwazi sesayensi kulandela ukunyakaza kwazo kwesizini.
Ethekwini, uhambo olubandakanya wonke lolwandle olunochwepheshe abanolwazi kanye neziqondiso zohambo lunikeza amathuba aphusile okuthola umlando ocebile, izilwane zasendle ezihlukile namasiko ahehayo wendawo ngayinye. Ifakwe iqoqo le-Zodiacs nama-kayak, uhlelo lohambo luzohlinzeka izivakashi ngokuhlolwa okujulile kwamagugu emvelo, umlando kanye namasiko ase-Alaska.
Okugqamile kohlelo lwe-Ocean Victory lwesizini ye-Alaska kufaka phakathi:
I-Anan Creek Bear ne-Wildlife Observatory: Izivakashi zingena ogwadule lwase-Alaska ukuze ziyobuka kanye empilweni izilwane zasendle zasehlathini endaweni yazo yemvelo. Bazohamba nge-jet boat besuka e-Wrangell banqamule e-Eastern Passage baye e-Anan trailhead. Lapha, i-Anan Creek ihlinzeka ngendawo enhle yendawo yokuhlola, njengoba ingenye yezinhlanzi ezinkulu ze-salmon ezigijima eNingizimu-mpumalanga ye-Alaska. Lokhu kuyenza ibe indawo ephambili lapho amabhere asendaweni angadla khona, kanye nezinkozi ezinempandla kanye nezimvu zamanzi zasethekwini. E-Anan Bear naseWildlife Observatory, izihambeli zizothola ukubukwa okuseduze kwalezi zidalwa ezinhle.
I-Finger Lighthouse: I-Five Finger Lighthouse yomlando itholakala lapho kuhlangana khona uStephen's Passage kanye noFrederick Sound eSoutheast Alaska. Isiqhingi ehlezi kuso kanye namanzi azungezile kuyikhaya lezinyoni zasolwandle ezizalelayo, izinyoni ezidla ukudla okuculayo, izinkozi ezinempandla, amabhubesi olwandle iSteller, izimvu zamanzi zasechwebeni, izinja zasolwandle, izimbila, imikhomo emincane ebulalayo kanye nenqwaba yemikhomo.
I-Kake Tlingit Village: Njengoba zijabulela isiko lendabuko lika-Kake, izivakashi zizokwamukelwa ngokufudumele izakhamuzi zase-Tlingit futhi zigqugquzelwe ukuthi zibambe iqhaza emasikweni azo esikhathi eside zikhona. Uma uhamba ibangana nje ukusuka esikhumulweni semikhumbi kunehholo lomphakathi, lapho kuzoba nomboniso wokubaza noma wokweluka. Ngemva kwalokho, izihambeli zingangena ku-dancefloor lapho abantu bendawo bezokwenza izingoma nemidanso yesintu. Ekugcineni bazobona isigxobo setotem esinesihlahla esisodwa esikhulu kunazo zonke emhlabeni.
Petersburg: Petersburg, i-Ocean Victory ima eduze kwemikhumbi ye-halibut enkulu kunazo zonke yase-Alaska, ebiza leli chweba elingashoni, ikhaya elivikelekile. Lawa manzi amaningi, kanye nokutholakala kweqhwa okungapheli okuvela e-LeConte Glacier eseduze, kuholele umdobi waseNorway u-Peter Buschmann ukuthi akhe indawo yokuqala yesigodi futhi ameme abantu bakubo abadobayo ukuthi bamjoyine - yingakho igama ledolobha kanye nesiko lalo eliqinile laseNorway. Imikhumbi emikhulu yokuhamba ngomkhumbi ayikwazi ukungena ePetersburg, ngakho izivakashi zizoba phakathi kwabambalwa abanelungelo lokufika kule ndawo ebukekayo, eyiqiniso yase-Alaska.
I-Waterfall Coast: Izivakashi zizozibekela inselelo yokuthi zilandelele inani lezimpophoma ezihlangabezane nazo ngasogwini oluhle olusempumalanga ye-Baranof Island, “ugu lwempophoma” oluncane olwaziwayo. Okunye kungabonwa kunoma iyiphi indlela yokubuka ye-Ocean Victory, noma khona kanye ezingeni lamanzi nge-kayak noma i-Zodiac. Lolu lwandle olucishe lufihleke lulungele ukutholwa ngezinja zamanzi, izinyamazane, namachibi olwandle alungele ukuveza amagugu ayimfihlo.
Umkhumbi omusha sha wohambo i-Ocean Victory uzohamba phakathi kweVancouver, BC kanye ne-Sitka, Alaska ohambweni lwezinsuku eziyi-12 neziyi-13 okuhlanganisa nokuhlala kwehhotela ngaphambi kokuhamba ngomkhumbi e-Vancouver, BC noma e-Sitka, futhi ubiza: Canadian Inside Passage; Fiordland (Kynoch Inlet); I-Ketchikan; Isikhumbuzo Sikazwelonke se-Misty Fjords; i-Wrangell/Stikine River Wilderness; I-Waterfall Coast/i-Baranof Wilderness; Petersburg/Le Conte Glacier; Tracy Arm/Endicott Glacier; I-Kake/Frederick Sound/Finger Finger; naseSitka, e-Alaska. Ukuhamba ngomkhumbi kuyatholakala ngoMeyi kuya kuSepthemba 2022.
LOKHO ONGAKUTHATHE KULESI SIHLOKO:
- “As we celebrate the debut of Ocean Victory, I am inspired by our growth from a one paddlewheel cruise line, the American Queen, to a fleet of vessels this very day sailing Mississippi, Kentucky, Washington, Prince Edward Island and Quebec,” shared John Waggoner, founder and chairman of American Queen Voyages.
- Created for intimate access with an innovative X-Bow design, the vessel sails the less-traveled regions of Alaska's Inside Passage where like-minded explorers will deploy kayaks and Zodiacs with expedition leaders, view wildlife from sliding observation platforms, witness marine research by California Polytechnic State University students in real-time and have engaging discussions with native Alaska leaders.
- The island on which it sits and the surrounding waters are a home to nesting seabirds, foraging songbirds, bald eagles, Steller sea lions, harbor seals, sea otters, harbor porpoise, transient killer whales and large numbers of humpback whales.
