A dense bank of fog enshrouded the National Geographic Sea Bird as she steamed towards Cormorant Island off the British Columbian Coast. On approach to the dock at Alert Bay a pod of twenty or more Pacific white-sided dolphins zipped passed the ship as guests enjoyed breakfast. Shortly thereafter we explored the small community visiting the totem poles that adorn the cemetery as well taking a tour of the U’Mista Museum and cultural center. Next we made our way to the Big House where the community shared the rich cultural revival that has taken place for the Kwakiutly (natively Kwakwa̱ka̱’wakw) in the form of elegant dances and drumming in full regalia in similar fashion to a traditional Potlach. After the ceremony’s conclusion, several members of the community shared with us traditional foods such as smoked salmon, fry bread and assorted jams made from natural berries.
After lunch we set sail down Johnstone strait in search of wildlife and soon rewarded. An area with swirling currents yielded a fascinating assemblage of seabirds including fork-tailed storm petrels and rhinoceros auklets. As we watched a Peregrine Falcon descended on the birds making lightning fast dives at the evading birds below. In the mid-afternoon a small group of Dall’s porpoises appeared and rode Sea Bird’s bow wave and around an hour later a larger group of Pacific white-sided dolphins appeared and did the same. Just before evening recap two of our keen-eyed naturalists spotted three black bears carousing in a salmon stream.
