The ferry from Port Hardy at the Northern end of Vancouver Island to the sleepy town of Prince Rupert 500 kilometers further North on the mainland, took us through the some of the most beautiful parts of the Northwest Pacific coastline, the Inside Passage, a total of 15 hours of navigation!
The Khutzeymateen Grizzly Sanctuary on the Pacific Coast
The next morning we are booked on a boat cruise taking us to the Khutzeymateen Grizzly Sanctuary, the only one in Canada and accessible through very few licenced operators . I knew that we were not in for another zodiac trip (no regrets given the weather), but I am still a bit shocked to discover that our catamaran style covered boat can hold around 100 passengers. Most of them are part of a huge busload of OAPs and seem more interested in the complimentary lunch sandwich and drink than any wildlife we might encounter on the way.
We set off on time, our guides are keen to arrive in the sanctuary whilst the low tide lasts as that is the moment when the grizzly bears come prowling on the beach searching for food. The idea is to be able to observe the bears without impacting in any way on their behaviour. Human voices can scare them and reduce the time they have available to feed. It is important that they never come to associate food smells with humans as this may cause them to search out human communities and ultimately become a nuisance and danger. The sanctuary covers a huge area, the grizzly bears who call it their home are not tagged in any way and hence the total number remains an estimate, between 50 and 80 bears.
We come across the first bear on approaching a beach before we reach the official entrance to the sanctuary. He spends a few minutes turning rocks and digging in the sand, then suddenly looks up as if he had only just noticed us.
No doubt someone on the front deck made a noise, because the bear wastes no time, turns around and with unexpected speed for what seems a rather clumsy animal he disappears into the shrubs above the tideline.
In a bay further down the inlet we come across another grizzly, this time the captain is able to steer the boat within a short distance of the beach. The bear pays no attention at all to our presence, fully concentrated on dislodging crabs, mussels and other tasty snacks from underneath seaweed covered stones and logs.
On the return journey we come across a group of 3 humpback whales feeding together. Lots of lovely flukes, but sadly still no breaches.
The organisers have a last little surprise in store for us, on the way back we are followed by a large number of bald eagles, all hoping to scrounge a few scraps from the boat.
Haida Gwaii, a wild and windswept archipelago lost in the Northwest Pacific
Our next stop takes us back out into the Northwest Pacific, to Haida Gwaii, a wedge-shaped achipelago of some 450 islands and islets of varying size, around 80 kilometers off the mainland coast. They are the historic heartland of the Haida people, one of the most advanced and powerful First Nations, renown for their totem poles and other high quality artwork. They live there to this day and although they have abandoned their old village sites for the few more accessible settlements along the East coast, the totem and house poles still more or less standing in many remote locations of the West coast, are a stark reminder of their ancient vibrant culture.
The islands are one of the most wildly beautiful, magical, most spiritually charged places I have ever been to. They are also one of the rainiest places in North America. The clouds and fog hang low on most days and direct sunshine averages about 3-4 hours a day, ideal conditions for the growth of temperate rainforests similar to those found along the coast. To flourish temperate rainforests need a stable climate with moderate temperatures and lots of water. Sitka spruce, Western red cedar and Western hemlock can grow to enormous sizes under these conditions. Temperate rainforests support one of the richest and most diverse ecosystems on earth.
They only occur in latitudes between 40 and 60° and until not that long ago, could be found in many places, even in Europe (Scotland, Ireland, Iceland). Sadly the majority of them have been eliminated by human greed through excessive logging and very few old growth forests have survived to this day. Despite extensive industrial logging, the forests of the Pacific Northwest are the worlds largest of their kind.
Roads are limited to the 2 main islands, Graham Island in the North, and a small part of Moresby Island in the South of the archipelago, all the other islands and islets are only accessible by boat or floatplane. We didn’t have time to see the spectacular Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve (UNESCO World Heritage Site) to the South (you need at least 3 or 4 days and given the limited number of daily reservations you need to book your place many months in advance).
The Wild Pacific Coast
However we signed up with a Haida run operator for a boat trip to the West coast giving us some insight into Haida culture and their environment.
The weather is typical for the islands, low clouds hug the rugged coastline, the pebble beaches shrouded in thick fog as James our captain stears the small boat through the strong currents of the Skidegate Narrows. A thin constant drizzle reminds me that the islands are not known for great weather. The ancestral village, or rather what little is left of it, is situated in a sheltered spot on the otherwise weather-beaten West coast. We step ashore on a rocky beach, strewn with driftwood, it is low tide and strange colourful starfish are stranded inbetween the seaweed. The luxuriant rainforest starts right behind the beach, at high tide the water must virtually come up to the roots.
The last remaining wooden house pole is standing uncannily inbetween mossy trees a few minutes walk into the forest above the shore. Everything is soaking wet in here, the thin drizzle and the fog make the place even more magical and mystical. Time seems to stand still here. The sweet earthy smell of decaying wood fills the humid air.
You need to watch your step in this leg-breaking, slippery tangle of roots and dead branches overgrown by thick soft moss. I like to imagine the moss covered branches of the trees coming alive and reaching out like arms to grab the unsuspecting visitor. No doubt if you linger long enough here, you will end up overgrown by moss yourself……..
Remains of an ancestral Haida village
Despite being heavily worn by the harsh weather, the beautifully carved faces and animals are still clearly visible on the house poles, their big eyes eerily staring at visitors. You can almost feel the souls of the roaming Haida ancestors breathing down your neck……
Les Macareux et le faucon pèlerin
After having taken the time to absorb the special mysterious and magical atmosphere of this enchanted forest, we head out into the Pacific. James wants to show us a colony of tufted puffins, the biggest puffin species whose most distinctive feature are the beautiful yellow tufts on their head that develop on the approach of the breeding season.
Trying to achieve focus is particularly challenging under these conditions, everything is moving! The boat is continuously bobbing up and down as the floating puffins appear and disappear behind the swells.
All of a sudden we spot a peregrine falcon in the sky above us, he is one of the puffins’ most feared predators and his unexpected appearance is wreaking havoc on the colony. Watching the falcons arial raids is amazing, he is literally flying upside down, his talons stretched up towards the puffin. This time his efforts remain unsuccessful, the puffins manage to escape and settle a further away.
Stellar Sea Lions and Harbour Seals
On the way out into the open sea we pass a colony of Steller sea lions high up on the rocks. Further on, harbour seals are hauled up on the beach waiting for the tide to come back in.
With the Humpbacks
As the boat heads further and further out into the open sea in search of humpback whales, the swells are getting higher and higher. Finally we spot a whale a long way in the distance, unfortunately it is too far out to try and catch up.
But from a distance we watch it lift part of it’s huge body out of the water. Simply amazing! Another individual, a little bit closer shows us a couple of nice flukes, but still no breaches….
On our way back we see an ancient murelet, a rare species whose population was drastically reduced by rats who managed to escape from visiting ships to its breeding islands.
Kingfishers and Bald Eagles in the North
Our small home for the night in Masset is right opposite the harbour and at low tide there is a small beach only meters away. That evening and at dawn the following morning I head down there to observe the lingering bald eagles.
A long high pitch call makes me take my eyes off the eagle, time to meet the belted kingfisher! Quite a bit bigger than our kingfisher in Europe, but less colourful, his call can’t possible be missed.
After having observed their loud territorial disputes for a while I realize that there are at least 3 of them, a pair as well as another male. Sadly the low light conditions at these hours make it impossible to capture decent images of the fast moving birds, but simply watching their many close interactions is a wonderful experience I certainly won’t forget.
Being in the far North of Haida Gwaii feels like having reached the end of the world. After having spent the night in Masset, we are taking a walk around Old Masset, its Haida community counterpart. In this small fishing village new faces don’t go unnoticed, and even less so when they are carrying a heavy zoom lens. I am spotted straight away trying to photograph a pair of bald eagles up in a conifer.
Luckily the local is more than helpful and suggests I take a stroll down to the beach, where he has just seen a huge number of bald eagles gathered around some stranded halibut. This time the boys have no choice, they’ll just have to be patient, I couldn’t possible miss such a unique opportunity! I glance across the wall overlooking the beach, there they are, there are so many I loose count. Later, on the photograph I realise that they numbered more than 40….
Despite years of persecution by humans bald eagles are surprisingly confident, much more so than common buzzards or other raptors in Europe. As I make a slow and careful approach towards them they don’t seem to mind at all, too busy squabbling over bits of fish spread out along the waters edge.
In the end it is a dog, let off the leash by its unmindful owner that cuts short the feeding session. I wait for a few individuals to return after the dog has left the beach, but the majority of them have moved on elsewhere.
On the Way back to the Boat
A last stop on North Beach before heading back South to the ferry terminal…..
