The Inland Passage (Queen Charlotte Strait, Fitzhugh Sound, Tolmie And Grenville Channels), British Columbia, Canada
En route for Southeastern Alaska, we are enjoying our third day of travel along this wonderful waterway, most of the time with the enormous island of Vancouver along our port side, and myriad islands along our starboard side. Numerous ships and boats, all heading north or south travels this route between Alaska and Vancouver or Seattle. The weather has been gray and drizzly. On two occasions we stopped to watch orcas or killer whales swim by, lazily blowing at the surface and tail slapping, or lying on the surface on their backs. Young ones were appreciated among both groups. We once stopped for a humpback whale, but it had its own program, and we didn't have a good sighting of it again. We also stopped to see the dilapidated and almost dead community of Butedale on Princess Royal Island, an abandoned fish cannery with one of its houses sliding into the water, and a lovely waterfall off to its north, all in the same small bay. Ah, for the days of canned salmon…
In the morning we had an interesting presentation by Michael Layland on the Cartographic History of British Columbia", in the afternoon, a presentation by William Lopez-Forment on the "Perspective and Importance of the Russian America Company to the Russians". We followed this by a sampling of the different products of the area, such as cheeses, sweets and teas, prepared by our hotel manager, Judy Blewitt.
After a recapitulation of the day, by the naturalists, we had dinner, and the opportunity to observe more of the lovely scenery after this repast.
En route for Southeastern Alaska, we are enjoying our third day of travel along this wonderful waterway, most of the time with the enormous island of Vancouver along our port side, and myriad islands along our starboard side. Numerous ships and boats, all heading north or south travels this route between Alaska and Vancouver or Seattle. The weather has been gray and drizzly. On two occasions we stopped to watch orcas or killer whales swim by, lazily blowing at the surface and tail slapping, or lying on the surface on their backs. Young ones were appreciated among both groups. We once stopped for a humpback whale, but it had its own program, and we didn't have a good sighting of it again. We also stopped to see the dilapidated and almost dead community of Butedale on Princess Royal Island, an abandoned fish cannery with one of its houses sliding into the water, and a lovely waterfall off to its north, all in the same small bay. Ah, for the days of canned salmon…
In the morning we had an interesting presentation by Michael Layland on the Cartographic History of British Columbia", in the afternoon, a presentation by William Lopez-Forment on the "Perspective and Importance of the Russian America Company to the Russians". We followed this by a sampling of the different products of the area, such as cheeses, sweets and teas, prepared by our hotel manager, Judy Blewitt.
After a recapitulation of the day, by the naturalists, we had dinner, and the opportunity to observe more of the lovely scenery after this repast.
