Alert Bay
The Sea Lion continued her northerly passage in Johnstone Straight throughout the night. The tides had been with us and we were making good time heading for our afternoon destination of Alert Bay.
As the Sea Lion cruised several early fall squalls were whipping up a frothy sea all around the vessel. We were in killer whale territory and despite the weather many of us journeyed to the bow to watch the first group of killer whales of our trip! As rain continued with high winds we watched one of Johnstone Straights resident killer whale pods as they moved in their natural world…the waves and weather having no affect on these marine mammals at all! They were lunging rapidly and seemed to be circling in a definite hunting behavior. Coinciding with the whale’s passage in Johnstone Straight is a run of coho salmon, making their way toward their spawning grounds in several nearby rivers.
Weather pushed many of us back indoors, where a lecture was presented on the art and culture of the Northwest Coast peoples. Images of land, weather and people tightly interwoven in community and an expressive art form found no where else in the world began to take hold as the Sea Lion approached the Government dock in the center of the small community of Alert Bay. As soon as the gangway was in place many of us took the opportunity to walk the one mile distance to the U’Mista Cultural Center. Once our entire group had arrived we were introduced to Lillian Hunt and given a wonderful presentation centered around the Potlatch collection that is housed in this remote but remarkable museum.
It was at the U’Mista Cultural Center that we began to see the extent, complexity and beauty of the culture that is the foundation of the Kwakwaka’wakw people. After some time was spent in the other exhibits at the cultural center, we made our way a short distance to the Big House where we would be gifted with a dance performance by the Tsasala Cultural Group. Members of this group range from the age of two years to the matriarch of the community, Auntie Ethel a ninety-one year old elder who has been teaching dance and song to the young people of Alert bay for many, many years!
As the central fire burned bringing warmth into the timbers of the Big House we watched as the young children along with their elders shared with us their greatest possessions; their songs and their dances. Auntie Ethel led the entire group in a dance she owned moving with grace around the dance floor and central fire. She was followed by a series of flowing robes worn by all the women of the Tsasala Cultural Group. Through the singing coming from the drumming log at the head of the house we could hear the shells and small pieces of decoration on the robes bouncing off of each other as these beautifully robed ladies glided and twirled around the dance floor of the Big House… their arms gesturing in a Native ballet of movement and story. The dancing finished with an invitation for all of us to join in a celebration dance. Our arms held high, we laughed and danced in step with our Native hosts.
Our time to return to the Sea Lion came much to rapidly. Quickly the vans moved our group back to our floating home. The gangway was lifted back on board, lines were dropped and pulled back on the Sea Lion and the Captain pulled away from the dock with skill and speed! As the Sea Lion began her journey south, we were treated to a smorgasbord of delicious treats in the forward lounge. The hotel manager and bartender had prepared a wine and beer tasting, along with an assortment of local foods from the Pacific Northwest. The people of Alert Bay had added to our afternoon treat with homemade bannock or fry bread, planked salmon that had been cooked on the beach and homemade jellies and jams to go along with the bannock.
The weather had turned beautiful and our cruise south was turning into a lovely early evening passage. To put a perfect end to a lovely day, another group of killer whales were spotted just one hour out of Alert Bay! We all made our way to the bow, to enjoy a group of slowly cruising killer whales as they moved south down Johnstone Straight. Our Captain kept perfect pace with our second group of whales, and we were blessed with views just a few yards off the port bow. Cruising at approximately three knots we matched the whale’s speed moving south, killer whales decorating the waters all around the Sea Lion. The sound of blows, two cow-calf pairs, and the sleek male dorsal fin rising slowing out of the water followed by a powerful blow…..a day filled with images to remember, to ponder and to take into our dreams this night, under the watchful glow of a large yellow harvest moon….
