Jervis Inlet, British Columbia
“Waking up in the wilderness, completely out of touch with the cities and urban congestion we were seeking to escape.”
“The clouds of symmetrical jellyfish pulsating in all directions through the clear water.”
“The serenity of this deep fjord, and the realization that it was carved by the grinding action of huge rocks embedded in rivers of glacial ice perhaps 15,000 years ago.”
“Those beautiful purple and orange sea stars packed so tightly together along the low tide line.”
These were some of the comments of our group when asked what they will always remember about their first full day in the coastal waters of Canada’s western-most province. We had admired the beauty of Vancouver’s waterfront, skyline and surrounding mountains last evening, then cruised calmly all night. It was still semi-dark when we awoke near the head of Jervis Inlet, the rising sun blocked by the high mountains and enveloping clouds. Evergreen forests surrounded us, some pristine and untouched, others having felt the bite of the faller’s saw at some time over the past half century. We searched the shoreline and water for life. Gulls, murrelets and mergansers were here, as were numbers of Harbor Seals, some intent on thrashing apart a salmon or rockfish that had lost out in a submarine chase. Silence was everywhere.
We would learn the history of Malibu Rapids and the early settlers of this area later in the evening, but for now it was time to take advantage of a low slack tide. We boarded our Zodiacs and watched as our ship gingerly snaked through the narrow entrance into Princess Louisa Inlet. The 7 to 10-knot currents that flush this picturesque side-inlet prevent boats from entering or exiting at any time other than at slack tide. For five miles we then followed the precipitous shoreline in our Zodiacs, gaining a little understanding of the ecology of a temperate rain forest as we went. When we reached the head of the inlet, a barbecue lunch awaited us on deck, our ship now anchored off spectacular Chatterbox Falls.
The winds remained calm and the rain held off for the day. The kayaking could not have been better, and those who hiked to the falls got to see a few of the true giants of this forest. No one knows for certain if the huge western redcedar and western hemlock trees that remain protected here in this marine park are 300, 500 or 1000 years old. But we like to think that they will still be here 500 years from now.
