Leaving Port Hardy on a misty morning.
The Inside Passage journey to Prince Rupert takes 15 hours, traveling through beautiful coastlines that are very close at times.
The kids getting some fresh air.
One of the many humpback and grey whales we spotted on the ferry journey!
Stunning sunset.
Zoe photographing us in Queen Charlotte, Haida Gwaii. We stayed in a b&b looking onto this bay.
Calum and Zoe having a whale of a time!
Walking from the campsite to Tlell Beach on day two.
An empty Tlell beach, where we cooked dinner on a camp fire and were joined by a family on a cycling trip. Lovely evening until the mist arrived! The first rain in over 2 months for us.
Looking for the salmon running up river! No joy here....
Old Massett has a thriving Haida Nations community, with lots of artists (weavers, carvers, painters and storytellers) selling their work behind this door.
Agate beach at the Northern end of Haida Gwaii. Fun, even if the mist is back. Tow Hill (a volcanic plug) is in the background.
Zoe photographing us with the great seaweed monster!
A beaver dam! We had an adventure trying to spot the elusive maker without a sighting.
We had to cross this slippery log to get a close look at the dam!
Evidence of the beaver leaving the swamp.
Crossing over to Morseby Island on the hourly ferry.
Stunning views reminiscent of West coast Scotland.
Bald Eagle with a following of starlings on a tree right outside the Bayview Hostel, where we stayed in Sandspit. There were two adult birds and two young birds flying back and forth along the shoreline, filling the air with their cries.
First sign of bear!
Heading out to Grey Bay we spotted a family of otters in this tangle of branches. We were watched and sniffed at by an adult and 3 maybe 4 cubs.
Large marsh area is home to Beaver dam number 2!
No sign of the beaver though...
Grey Bay. We saw few people and had the two beaches to ourselves for the whole afternoon.
Ready for some beach action!
Plenty of shorebirds and lots of life in the many rock pools.
This giant anemone was bigger than my hand!
Giant barnacles too!
Time for giant sandcastles as well!
And a dip in the sea!
En-route home we found some beaver evidence.
Bear signs.
And salmon, hundreds of them, swimming up river!
Off to Moresby camp early next morning. This lake was a nice stop off point.
Success! Loads of salmon making their way upstream. We could almost reach in and grab them!
As we watched these fish Ruth spotted a black bear 30m upstream, walking towards us! We made a hasty retreat to the safety of a nearby bridge and watched as it briefly attempted to catch fish in the shallows. Sadly no photos.
Some remains from the wood processing plant and canning plant at Moresby camp.
Fun in Sandspit school playground before going to bed.
Last day! We headed West to Dina River and had such a treat! The kids got to play in the stream with hundreds of salmon inches from their feet!
After this shallow section the fish rested in a deep pool.........
Thousands!
The river was black with them!
As we ate lunch on the nearby bridge a black bear walked in the exact spot we were only 10-15 mins previously. It was such a wonderful way to end our time in Haida Gwaii. Getting to see a black bear attempting to feast on the salmon. What a spectacle!
Further downstream I stopped to check a bear path and came across this stunning stretch of river. There was a lot of eagle droppings and feathers as well as bear droppings and fresh bear prints!
I didn't hang around too long.
We got the ferry back to Skidegate (on the northern island) and had some supper in the Raven Hotel. (the best salmon and halibut I have ever tasted.)
We spent some time at the aptly named balance rock and said our farewells to the Islands.
We stopped at the museum on the way to the ferry to have a last attempt to find russian trading beads on the beach! No luck!
We got the kids ready for bed at the visitors centre and caught the 11pm crossing over to Prince Rupert.
