Sometime in the wee hours of the morning as the half moon was setting over Dixon Entrance, we entered Canadian waters on this southbound voyage. The stars accentuated the dark skies after many days of liquid sunshine. We set our clocks forward to West Coast time during this wonderful 23-hour day in British Columbia and just after 6:00 a.m., our ship entered Cow Bay in the town of Prince Rupert. The bright sun lit up the bands of fog shrouding the coastal temperate rainforest as a lone crab boat pulled pots out of the glassy water. Prince Rupert was named in 1908 after the first governor of the Hudson Bay Trading Company and was the western terminus of the company’s transcontinental rail line. Today, this quaint coastal community is a tourism hub and also supports a declining timber and fishing industry. After the morning of learning about fascinating Tsimshian culture and art at the Museum of Northern British Columbia, we explored Prince Rupert’s historic district and waterfront in Cow Bay. The sun shined bright on the colorful buildings and the locals greeting us with friendly smiles.
We departed the dock in bright sunshine and just as I finished my “On Assignment with National Geographic” presentation, the call came from Captain Nettles that humpback whales were surrounding the ship. We spent a few hours on the bow watching these graceful creatures blowing, fluking, tail slapping and breeching with the stunning backdrop of British Columbia. Tonight we head across the Hecate Strait for the wonderful treat of Haida Gwaii. Welcome to Canada and the second half of this wonderful expedition.
