Johnstone Strait & Alert Bay
As we cruised northward along Johnstone Strait, the morning sun rose behind us through the remnants of last night’s rain clouds, sending its light skyward in a fan of golden rays. Ahead of us, superimposed on a sunlit hillside of firs and cedars, lay a double rainbow, almost surreal in its brightness. And then, things got better.
Within moments the call went out: “Killer whales at ten o’clock… at least two animals.” A large adult male and two other “whales” —they are really the largest members of the dolphin family—were northbound, slightly shoreward of our course and traveling at about five knots. After observing them for some time, close enough to hear them breathe, we continued on course for our appointment with the small coastal town of Alert Bay.
As we gathered in the lounge to hear staff naturalist David Stephens give his usual gripping account of the art and culture of the Pacific Northwest, our attention was temporarily diverted by dramatic events taking place just a few hundred meters (we’re in Canada) ahead. A killer whale—possibly a female or sub-adult male—appeared to be herding three Dall’s porpoises. While the intent might not have been deadly, the diminutive speedsters, sporting the same white-on-black themes as their pursuer, seemed to take all this very seriously indeed. Staying together whenever possible, the three Dall’s sliced the nearshore waters with their streamlined bodies, sending up great v-shaped splashes at every turn.
Within minutes, the game was over. The killer whales of these inland pods tend to be fish-eaters and don’t usually eat mammals, and this might have been a case of both animals chasing a common prey, but the tiny 6-foot-long porpoises never allowed the whale to get close enough to test this generalization.
Back in the lounge, David proceeded to work his magic to a rapt audience, painting vivid imagery with his voice and hands. Fascinating artifacts from his private collection were a great addition to the program.
We arrived in Alert Bay around 9:30 and proceeded to their cultural museum where we were treated to stories about the legends, art and history of the local people. Afterward, most of us went to the tribal longhouse to observe ritual stories and dances, while some toured the local ecological reserve. All-aboard was just after 12:30 and lunch was served as we cleared the dock.
The afternoon brought more encounters with the Orcas of Johnstone Strait, as well as several fork-tailed storm petrels, marbled murrelets, and pelagic cormorants.
Just before dinner, staff naturalist and historian, Michael Leyland, gave a splendid account of the history and evolution of maps and navigation charts of the Pacific Northwest region, dating back to the 1500’s. This day would be hard to top, but that’s also what we thought last evening.
