Johnstone Strait & Alert Bay, British Columbia
Our plans for this day were certainly exciting - but the reality of our experience was over the top! The joyful leaps of bow-riding Pacific white-sided dolphins greeted us first on this brisk and cool morning, a blue sky reminder that fall is here and the season is turning. This pod numbered about 30 jumping animals and we were delighted to see them as they are oceanic dolphins and not always present in this area. We were soon joined by a resident group of seven killer whales. Two of the animals in this pod were large adult males, and watching the tips of those tall dorsal fins emerge slowly from the blue water to their full height of six feet is a breathtaking sight. Johnstone Strait is famed for the presence of these largest of the dolphin family and we were fortunate again, as this was our second sighting of Orcinus orca this trip.
We made our way through scenic Blackney Pass to scout about for more seabirds and potential marine mammal species. Luck was with the National Geographic Sea Lion once again as we found three humpback whales, yet another exceptional sighting for this area! One of the whales was quite scarred from an encounter with a propeller, and the other two appeared to be a female and her soon to be weaned calf. There was a lot of interesting surface activity with several breaches and tail slashes; perhaps the young one was protesting his or her unwanted independence.
And all of this well before lunch…
Alert Bay on Cormorant Island is the cultural heart of the fourteen bands of Kwakiutl speaking people, and we spent the afternoon immersed in the art and music of this fascinating First Nations group. A visit to the Potlatch Collection in the U’mista Cultural Center brought us into the majesty and mystery of the Kwaka’waka’wak. The masks are old and exquisitely carved and one can sense the supernatural connections and the ancient stories waiting to be told once again through the traditions of the Potlatch ceremony.
After tasting sweet ripe blackberries on the walk up the hill, we joyfully witnessed a dance performance around the roaring fire at the magnificent Big House. The young dancers and their dedicated mentors, the singers and the drummers offered us a glimpse into the redcedar bark and the peace dances and the songs of the Nam’gis people. What a privilege to be a guest of this great culture that so wonderfully mirrors the land and the sea, the animals and spirits that dwell in this coastal rainforest region.
Our plans for this day were certainly exciting - but the reality of our experience was over the top! The joyful leaps of bow-riding Pacific white-sided dolphins greeted us first on this brisk and cool morning, a blue sky reminder that fall is here and the season is turning. This pod numbered about 30 jumping animals and we were delighted to see them as they are oceanic dolphins and not always present in this area. We were soon joined by a resident group of seven killer whales. Two of the animals in this pod were large adult males, and watching the tips of those tall dorsal fins emerge slowly from the blue water to their full height of six feet is a breathtaking sight. Johnstone Strait is famed for the presence of these largest of the dolphin family and we were fortunate again, as this was our second sighting of Orcinus orca this trip.
We made our way through scenic Blackney Pass to scout about for more seabirds and potential marine mammal species. Luck was with the National Geographic Sea Lion once again as we found three humpback whales, yet another exceptional sighting for this area! One of the whales was quite scarred from an encounter with a propeller, and the other two appeared to be a female and her soon to be weaned calf. There was a lot of interesting surface activity with several breaches and tail slashes; perhaps the young one was protesting his or her unwanted independence.
And all of this well before lunch…
Alert Bay on Cormorant Island is the cultural heart of the fourteen bands of Kwakiutl speaking people, and we spent the afternoon immersed in the art and music of this fascinating First Nations group. A visit to the Potlatch Collection in the U’mista Cultural Center brought us into the majesty and mystery of the Kwaka’waka’wak. The masks are old and exquisitely carved and one can sense the supernatural connections and the ancient stories waiting to be told once again through the traditions of the Potlatch ceremony.
After tasting sweet ripe blackberries on the walk up the hill, we joyfully witnessed a dance performance around the roaring fire at the magnificent Big House. The young dancers and their dedicated mentors, the singers and the drummers offered us a glimpse into the redcedar bark and the peace dances and the songs of the Nam’gis people. What a privilege to be a guest of this great culture that so wonderfully mirrors the land and the sea, the animals and spirits that dwell in this coastal rainforest region.
