At dawn, we were cruising west in the beautiful waters of Johnstone Strait.  When we turned into Blackfish Sound, the birdlife was abundant – we watched bald eagles catching fish from the surface, saw dozens of rhinoceros auklets, and we glimpsed seals, harbor porpoises, and two humpback whales.  We spent the afternoon with the Kwakwaka’wakw people at Alert Bay, learning about the potlatch ceremony at the U’mista Cultural Center, and watching dances performaned by the Tsasala Cultural Group at the Big House.