Meandering Through the Islands
This was another fabulous tour where the rain held off beautifully despite what was forecasted in the marine weather, and the overcast conditions made the rich forest greens seem even brighter. The wind was slight so the ocean conditions were fairly smooth with just a ripple which made for comfortable travel.
The highlight of today’s tour was seeing not just one black bear, but four. A mum with three cubs was seen foraging on a rocky beach just around the corner from Alder Bay. It was a prefect tide for them to be foraging under rocks and scooping up the crustaceans hiding within the rock weed that was exposed by the low tide. The cubs were COY’s, cubs of this year so they did not venture too far away from their mother’s side. She certainly has a big job ahead, as she prepares her cubs for the long, cold months of winter.
Humpbacks were our whale specie of the day and they were in fine form as they displayed their acrobatic tendencies. One breached about eleven times, one jump after the other. The immense amount of water that was dispersed upon the whale landing was incredible.
In this area over ten whales foraged but there was no sign of bait balls on the surface. Perhaps they were hunting and feasting in the deeper layers of the sea.
Signs of fall are in the air as a few new birds have arrived in the area. One of the most impressive migrations is from the Sooty Shearwater which we saw today, and in a few months’ time they will be in New Zealand, over 1100 Kilometers from this location. As you walk in the Alert Bay village we have noticed that the Maple and Alder leaves are turning brown and bringing fall to our feet as they release their summer grasp from the trees in which they were born. Fewer visitors are walking the streets and down at the dock sports fisherman are preparing for their journey back home.
