British Columbia’s Inside Passage
We passed logs and debris in the narrow waterways as the National Geographic Sea Lion passed Bella Bella and entered Milbank Sound. Lighting on distant islands became dramatic as the sun peered through large white, puffy clouds. Swells from the open Pacific rocked the ship gently. Six Dall’s porpoises cruised in to ride our bow for awhile. These striking black and white marine mammals consume fish and squid and usually swim quite energetically with a rooster tail of spray arcing off their rostrums.
We encountered an exciting number of birds in the channel near the small town of Klemtu. Surf scoters, red-breasted mergansers, and harlequin ducks were well represented. The harlequins are some of the most spectacularly patterned of all the sea ducks, with blocky patterns of chestnut elegantly embellished, with stripes reminiscent of a court jester. Red-throated loons drifted on the calm water with bills tipped up at an arrogant angle. Black headed Bonaparte’s, mew, and glaucous-winged gulls lined up on floating logs and also flew about. Red-necked and western grebes dove often but rewarded those with the patience to wait for a view. The display was perfect for beginner to advanced birders on the bow, warmed by sunshine and sharing the avian excitement with others.
Green Inlet is a narrow winding waterway that we explored in the afternoon. We thought bundling up was the most critical part of this adventure, but the weather gave us a break and became delightful. The inlet is about four miles long and ends in a salt chuck, a narrow place where a long lake empties at low tide and refills as the tide rises. Sea water pours back and forth through a narrow channel, often forming standing waves. The area around them is very productive. Both Zodiac trips in had great views of common mergansers, boldly marked Barrow’s goldeneyes, western grebes and more Harlequin ducks. A mink was also spotted. Its small body and dark brown head were seen effortlessly swimming above a churning waterfall.
We explored deep within a tree-covered fjord and admired western red-cedars, hemlocks, and Sitka spruces that covered the mountain sides. These hardy plants are emerging from the rainy season. It’s easy to appreciate their tenuous hold when you look at the landslides of cleanly swept rock with piles of upended and broken trees at the bottom. One of today’s expedition photos shows a salmonberry flower, one of the only sources of nectar for rufous hummingbirds that are migrating through this spring. The photograph also shows a newly forming berry that may later feed a hungry bear. As the temperature warms and the snow melts, the rain slows from its relentless downpour to come in fits and sprinkles. We experienced a bit of wind and rain today but mostly sunshine, signaling the onset of summer.
As the ship moves northward, we go back in time, and the snowline drops closer to the waterline. We weave between stages of spring to winter and back to summer. We are experiencing a northwest spring with all of its nuances.
