Johnstone Strait / Alert Bay
We awoke this morning in Johnstone Strait, a constricted passage between Vancouver Island and the mainland. We shared the strait with a variety of now-familiar creatures. Rhinoceros auklets paddled along, spreading their wings as they dove for fish or sped off with whirring wingbeats. Murres floated by, looking sleek and elegant. Gulls, ever investigative, rode floating logs, or flew by to inspect the ship, hoping for tidbits.
But our best sighting was a new species. Pacific white-sided dolphins were seen from the bow, and we turned to take a closer look. These creatures prefer the open ocean, and can be found in few parts of the protected Inside Passage, so every sighting is a lucky one. But our real luck lay in the viewing conditions. The weather was totally calm, so the water was like tourmaline glass. These dolphins, lovely creatures, are variegated and streaked in black and grey. We saw them rising from the depths, or cruising along ten feet below the surface, then rising for a quick breath. Like many marine mammals, Pacific white-sided dolphins like to bow ride. They move in front of the ship, find the pressure wave just in front of the bow, and enjoy a free ride. It’s underwater surfing. This may be fun for the dolphins, but it’s even more fun for us. Again and again, we peered down to see a cluster of dolphins just a few feet away. The creatures moved with beautiful grace and ease, gliding along, slowly rolling or suddenly sprinting into the depths. Eventually, the dolphins moved off into Robson Bight. This area is protected because local killer whales like to rub on the rocky shallows. We left the dolphins and headed for Alert Bay.
Alert Bay is home to the Namgis tribe of the Kwakwaka’wakw people. It is the ceremonial center of the whole region. We first went to the Umista Cultural Centre. This museum houses a fine collection of masks judicially stolen when potlatching was outlawed. Now returned, they remind both locals and visitors of the strong cultural history of the Kwakwaka’wakw. After touring the cultural centre, we climbed the hill to the Alert Bay bighouse. This huge building was the first ceremonial house built regionally in modern times, and has held countless potlatches. It remains a cultural focal point. We were some of the few outsiders privileged to see the house. We watched as young dancers did the dances of their ancestors, practicing to carry the old ways into the future.
After a sunny afternoon in Alert Bay, we boarded the Sea Bird and headed for the more remote parts of the British Columbian coast.
We awoke this morning in Johnstone Strait, a constricted passage between Vancouver Island and the mainland. We shared the strait with a variety of now-familiar creatures. Rhinoceros auklets paddled along, spreading their wings as they dove for fish or sped off with whirring wingbeats. Murres floated by, looking sleek and elegant. Gulls, ever investigative, rode floating logs, or flew by to inspect the ship, hoping for tidbits.
But our best sighting was a new species. Pacific white-sided dolphins were seen from the bow, and we turned to take a closer look. These creatures prefer the open ocean, and can be found in few parts of the protected Inside Passage, so every sighting is a lucky one. But our real luck lay in the viewing conditions. The weather was totally calm, so the water was like tourmaline glass. These dolphins, lovely creatures, are variegated and streaked in black and grey. We saw them rising from the depths, or cruising along ten feet below the surface, then rising for a quick breath. Like many marine mammals, Pacific white-sided dolphins like to bow ride. They move in front of the ship, find the pressure wave just in front of the bow, and enjoy a free ride. It’s underwater surfing. This may be fun for the dolphins, but it’s even more fun for us. Again and again, we peered down to see a cluster of dolphins just a few feet away. The creatures moved with beautiful grace and ease, gliding along, slowly rolling or suddenly sprinting into the depths. Eventually, the dolphins moved off into Robson Bight. This area is protected because local killer whales like to rub on the rocky shallows. We left the dolphins and headed for Alert Bay.
Alert Bay is home to the Namgis tribe of the Kwakwaka’wakw people. It is the ceremonial center of the whole region. We first went to the Umista Cultural Centre. This museum houses a fine collection of masks judicially stolen when potlatching was outlawed. Now returned, they remind both locals and visitors of the strong cultural history of the Kwakwaka’wakw. After touring the cultural centre, we climbed the hill to the Alert Bay bighouse. This huge building was the first ceremonial house built regionally in modern times, and has held countless potlatches. It remains a cultural focal point. We were some of the few outsiders privileged to see the house. We watched as young dancers did the dances of their ancestors, practicing to carry the old ways into the future.
After a sunny afternoon in Alert Bay, we boarded the Sea Bird and headed for the more remote parts of the British Columbian coast.
