Jackson Narrows/Inside Passage, British Columbia, Canada
Overnight we crossed Queen Charlotte and Milbank Sounds and awoke to sunny skies and narrow, scenic fjords of the Inside Passage of British Columbia, Canada. Energetic Dall’s porpoises visited us in the morning, foraging in erratic spurts. A couple of private sail boats were the only other signs of civilization we encountered as we anchored in Jackson Narrows between Susan and Roderick Islands. We spent the morning dispersed in kayaks, Zodiac tours and walks on land, all exploring this remote, picturesque forest and shoreline. Curious harbor seals watched us as we stared back at them through cameras and binoculars. Loons and Barrow’s goldeneye ducks were in their breeding finery. Various shorebirds paid us no mind, needing to refuel for the many miles to go before reaching their Arctic feeding and nesting grounds. Robins, pipits, a yellow-rumped warbler and sparrows were also active along the shoreline. Lovely cedar trees were abundant in the forest.
The National Geographic Sea Bird continued northward throughout the afternoon and we enjoyed the exceptional weather, birdlife, and scenery. Adult bald eagles were especially prominent and stately figures, perched like sentinels atop tall trees. Immature eagles, brown and speckled with flecks and splotches of white, are camouflaged and harder to find. We entered the Great Bear Rainforest, where the unique Kermode bear (a rare white subspecies of black bear) and other precious resources are protected in the vanishing temperate rain forest ecosystem.
At dinner time, we approached Butedale, the site of an old salmon cannery that once housed about 80 workers. In spite of the dilapidated buildings, caretaker Lou Simoneau provides such necessities as fuel, showers, rooms, and ice cream for passers-by. We invited him onto the National Geographic Sea Bird to converse with us about his year-round solitary life in this ghost town. Starting his seventh year as voluntary caretaker, Lou is not sure why he is there, but we enjoyed the stories and personality of this local character as he good-naturedly answered our many, often personal, questions and added another dimension to our expedition experience.
Overnight we crossed Queen Charlotte and Milbank Sounds and awoke to sunny skies and narrow, scenic fjords of the Inside Passage of British Columbia, Canada. Energetic Dall’s porpoises visited us in the morning, foraging in erratic spurts. A couple of private sail boats were the only other signs of civilization we encountered as we anchored in Jackson Narrows between Susan and Roderick Islands. We spent the morning dispersed in kayaks, Zodiac tours and walks on land, all exploring this remote, picturesque forest and shoreline. Curious harbor seals watched us as we stared back at them through cameras and binoculars. Loons and Barrow’s goldeneye ducks were in their breeding finery. Various shorebirds paid us no mind, needing to refuel for the many miles to go before reaching their Arctic feeding and nesting grounds. Robins, pipits, a yellow-rumped warbler and sparrows were also active along the shoreline. Lovely cedar trees were abundant in the forest.
The National Geographic Sea Bird continued northward throughout the afternoon and we enjoyed the exceptional weather, birdlife, and scenery. Adult bald eagles were especially prominent and stately figures, perched like sentinels atop tall trees. Immature eagles, brown and speckled with flecks and splotches of white, are camouflaged and harder to find. We entered the Great Bear Rainforest, where the unique Kermode bear (a rare white subspecies of black bear) and other precious resources are protected in the vanishing temperate rain forest ecosystem.
At dinner time, we approached Butedale, the site of an old salmon cannery that once housed about 80 workers. In spite of the dilapidated buildings, caretaker Lou Simoneau provides such necessities as fuel, showers, rooms, and ice cream for passers-by. We invited him onto the National Geographic Sea Bird to converse with us about his year-round solitary life in this ghost town. Starting his seventh year as voluntary caretaker, Lou is not sure why he is there, but we enjoyed the stories and personality of this local character as he good-naturedly answered our many, often personal, questions and added another dimension to our expedition experience.
