Johnstone Strait and Alert Bay
A few awakened at 4:30 a.m. for the passage through Seymour Narrows, historically known as a treacherous navigational hazard due to swift tidal currents and Ripple Rock, the cause of many shipwrecks. Our journey was safe and uneventful, in part because this obstacle was blasted away in 1958 with the largest non-nuclear explosion in history, and also due to careful planning by our officers to make the transit at a favorable tide.
Silvery mist dappled the otherwise flat water as we cruised north. Dry weather edged away the moisture, and we continued through Johnstone Strait past Pacific loons, bald eagles, porpoises, and even a humpback whale, a rather unusual sighting for this location.
During lunch we docked at the village of Alert Bay on Cormorant Island. Much of the community here is of native origin, and the focus for the afternoon was to learn about their Kwakwaka’wakw culture. The U’mista Cultural Center houses an impressive collection of carved masks and other displays that we perused before visiting the local “Big House” where young performers shared traditional dances with us.
A beautifully carved totem pole with a killer whale and eagle design stands in front of the museum. Within the blowhole of the whale lies the figure represented in the photo. It is Dzunuk’wa, the wild woman of the woods. She is said to be a giant, hairy woman who tempts human children with bits of food, then steals them away. What a great story to keep your kids from wandering off on their own! The eyes are usually round or, as in this depiction, sleepy-looking. Dzunuk’wa’s puckered lips are red from the human blood that she frequently drinks. Fortunately we enjoyed the forest from a distance today and avoided any dangerous encounters with this legendary creature.
A few awakened at 4:30 a.m. for the passage through Seymour Narrows, historically known as a treacherous navigational hazard due to swift tidal currents and Ripple Rock, the cause of many shipwrecks. Our journey was safe and uneventful, in part because this obstacle was blasted away in 1958 with the largest non-nuclear explosion in history, and also due to careful planning by our officers to make the transit at a favorable tide.
Silvery mist dappled the otherwise flat water as we cruised north. Dry weather edged away the moisture, and we continued through Johnstone Strait past Pacific loons, bald eagles, porpoises, and even a humpback whale, a rather unusual sighting for this location.
During lunch we docked at the village of Alert Bay on Cormorant Island. Much of the community here is of native origin, and the focus for the afternoon was to learn about their Kwakwaka’wakw culture. The U’mista Cultural Center houses an impressive collection of carved masks and other displays that we perused before visiting the local “Big House” where young performers shared traditional dances with us.
A beautifully carved totem pole with a killer whale and eagle design stands in front of the museum. Within the blowhole of the whale lies the figure represented in the photo. It is Dzunuk’wa, the wild woman of the woods. She is said to be a giant, hairy woman who tempts human children with bits of food, then steals them away. What a great story to keep your kids from wandering off on their own! The eyes are usually round or, as in this depiction, sleepy-looking. Dzunuk’wa’s puckered lips are red from the human blood that she frequently drinks. Fortunately we enjoyed the forest from a distance today and avoided any dangerous encounters with this legendary creature.
