Kynoch Inlet & Great Bear Rainforest, British Columbia, Canada
Sunday arrived with mild dry weather on the Kynoch Inlet in Fjordland Provincial Park. Low clouds shrouded the granite wallsm but a bit of blue promised that we might see some sun later. After breakfast, kayakers and Zodiac tours fanned out over the glassy waters hoping for wildlife and guaranteed some spectacular views. Numerous bald eagles perched in the western red cedar forest.
The shallows were littered with the remains of salmon that had finished their life cycle. A few fish were still alive, performing a slow dance at the surface before completing their part in a vast ecological system. Kayakers paddled through smoky mist rising from the water, enjoying a quiet solitude broken only by an occasional Zodiac passing by to take their picture.
As we returned to the National Geographic Sea Bird, sunshine actually came from the sky! After days of cloudy weather it was a welcome gift to stand and be warmed by the sun. The photographers stopped worrying so much about exposures and began trying to capture the immensity of the glacier-carved walls around us.
Just before lunch, a confusing rumor spread through the ship of a bear sighting in the water. We spent almost an hour following a robust black bear that swam the three-quarter mile width of the channel, arriving on the opposite shore and scrambling across rocky ledges until it reached the lush forest and vanished.
After lunch we motored through the Great Bear Rainforest enjoying the sights. We spent some time following a lone humpback whale. But for most of the afternoon we journeyed through scenic splendor rivaling Yosemite, taking endless photographs and basking in the glorious sunshine.
