A Season to Celebrate: Haida Gwaii 2019

A Season to Celebrate: 

Haida Gwaii 2019

As Bluewater Adventures finishes a fulfilling season in Haida Gwaii we reflect on the memories created by our renowned Haida Resource Guides like artists, Robert Davidson and Terri-Lynn Williams-Davidson, Haida matriarch, Barb Wilson and Elder, Captain Gold. It is always a treat for our guests and Crew to have a "front row seat" to the unfolding art, history and culture of the Haida people through their stories.

On our expeditions, Bluewater Crew capture all wildlife encounters in a log book to share with researchers and for our own historical data. 2019 was a very active year! Just a few of the highlights in Haida Gwaii were, "2 humpbacks breaching 50 times", "1000's of ancient murrelets", transient (Biggs) orcas on the hunt", "a pod of 70+ offshore orcas", "6 fin whales and a grey whale" and "witnessing hundreds of puffins take flight!"

Breaching humpback whale. Photo: J Varley

We tend to have some unusual encounters too! This year Crew and guests spotted a fur seal, Risso's dolphins, mola molas and a salmon shark.

Rissos dolphin. Photo: T Stoeri

Risso's dophins can grow up to more than 3.5 metres long and can dive to at least 1000 feet. They are typically found in warm or temperate waters but have been seen off of Haida Gwaii presumably due to its rich foraging areas. They feed mostly at night on anything from krill and small fish to cephalopods like cuttlefish, octopus and squid.

Mola mola or Sunfish. Photo: R Elliott

The mola mola or ocean sunfish is probably one of the strangest creatures we encounter on our expeditions. They can grow to be up to 3 metres across and females can lay about 300 million eggs at one time. They are most often spotted when floating on their side at the ocean surface, absorbing the heat of the sun to regulate their body heat. They are also deep divers - probably drawn to the Continental Shelf and its rich supply of nutrients. Believe it or not, their main diet is jelly fish.

Haida Gwaii trips take place May through August on both Island Roamer and Island Solitude.  Inquire about an upcoming trip here.

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A Season to Celebrate: Southeast Alaska 2019

Iconic Southeast Alaska sunset. Photo: P Goldstein

2019: A Season to Celebrate

Southeast Alaska

Alaska - Land of the Midnight Sun. Although Bluewater Adventures doesn't travel far enough north to experience round the clock sunshine, this itinerary is no less spectacular. One thing that we have learned over the many years exploring this coast is that seasons bring similar patterns in coastal wildlife viewing, but you can never count on it being the same.

This year, Frederick Sound was off the "bubble-net feeding charts" with many experiences of the co-operative feeding technique used by only some humpback whales. Biologists believe that bubble-net feeding is a "learned behaviour". 

Humpback whales bubble-net feeding in Southeast Alaska. Photo: P Goldstein

One departure hosted a photo group from the UK and the planets aligned with wonderful weather, calm waters and once in a lifetime photographic opportunities. Like they say - "pictures say a thousand words" - thanks to Paul Goldstein (@paulgoldstein) for this collection!

Black bear closeup at Anan Creek Wildlife Observatory. Photo: P Goldstein

It was a dry start to July with salmon arriving to spawn and some rivers too shallow to navigate. This can all change in an afternoon of heavy rain - which it did, prompting the bears to arrive with serious appetites. Overall, Southeast Alaska saw a very strong pink salmon run and the bears at both Anan Creek and Pack Creek clearly reaped the rewards.

A coastal wolf "allows" us to observe it. A rare and welcomed sight. Photo: P Goldstein

Southeast Alaska remains as one of our most prolific wildlife expeditions with outstanding scenery from tidewater glaciers to emerald-green grottoes. Sunsets that change your surroundings to an other-worldly, hot pink has to be experienced to be truly understood.

View 2020 Southeast Alaska availability here. │ BOOK NOW

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A Season To Celebrate: Northern Great Bear - Khutzeymateen Grizzly Sanctuary 2019

A grizzly in spring grazing on sedge grass. Photo: N Shearar

2019: A Season to Celebrate

Northern Great Bear - Khutzeymateen Grizzly Bear Sanctuary

British Columbia's north coast is one of those places where we hope to raise the sails. With a good wind, we make way out of the port of Prince Rupert to a remote estuary called the Khutzeymateen Grizzly Bear Sanctuary. Only just a few vessels are permitted to venture where we go which makes visiting this off the map place so special.

Transient (Biggs) Orca hunting a Steller sea lion. Photo: E Boyle

The outer Islands always provide superb opportunities to explore with colourful spring flowers, nesting kittiwakes and a massive Steller sea lion haul out monitored by a few dozing "beach masters". These males appear to be as big as Volkswagen vans!. Transient (Bigg's) orcas patrolled the waters for inquisitive, juvenile sea lions, who found cover in between our towed zodiacs, hoping they would be forgotten by those apex predators of the sea.

Dr Barrie Gilbert

Late May/ June is a unique time to visit. It is mating season for this important population of grizzlies. The large males tend to spend their time upriver, foraging away from human contact. Now they beeline it for the estuary to find the females, some still with cubs. Bear behaviorist, Dr. Barrie Gilbert, provided our guests with all the answers (and punchlines) for an area he knows so well. 

The dynamic suddenly changes with the arrival of the large male grizzly, from foraging and quietly to "the pursuit" - and the females are not always willing participants. Captain Neil captured one such occasion.

"The pursuit" lasted for more than 2 hours up a mountain and back. Photo: N Shearar

Crew noted "lots of bears" and "lots of mating" this year – a good indicator that we will be in for more incredible bear viewing Khutzeymateen Grizzly Sanctuary will in 2020...  ;)

Northern Great bear/ Khutzeymateen expeditions take place in late May/ June. Check out the sample Itinerary for more information on this unique wildlife expedition. BOOK NOW!

www.bluewateradventures.ca

Haida Gwaii - Then & Now

Hand made Haida canoe paddles. Photo: Rick Hulbert

Haida Gwaii translates to “islands of the people". The two main islands in Haida Gwaii, Graham Island to the north and Moresby Island to the south, are among approximately 150 smaller Islands making up this breathtaking archipelago.

Haida Gwaii black bear 

Haida Gwaii is also referred to as the Galapagos of the North. During the last glaciation of BC, ice in Haida Gwaii receded about 2000 years earlier than the rest of the province. This resulted in some plants and animals evolving into genetically distinct species like the Haida Gwaii black bear, the largest known subspecies of black bear.

The iconic images of Haida Gwaii you see are usually of  SGang Gwaay - a UNESCO  World Heritage Site located at the southern-most point of Moresby Island. It is a magical place where we contemplate what life must have been like in this 19th-century, sea-side Haida village.

Our Haida Watchman guides take us through the village site to interpret the longhouse, middens, mortuary and memorial poles and the bounty that the location offered. It is just one of the village sites that we visit on our Haida Gwaii expeditions.

A visit to SGang Gwaay. Photo: R Burke

 Since 1993, Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve has been protected from the ocean floor to the mountain peaks and is co-managed by the Haida Nation and the Canadian Government. A new plan called Gwaii Haanas - Land, Sea People Plan was introduced in 2018. It oversees the management of the archipelago, "unimpaired" for the "education and enjoyment of future generations". Central to the vision for the protection of Gwaii Haanas is "the recognition that land, sea and people are interconnected."

 Captain Gold  Photo: T Thayer

Captain Gold, a Historian, the founding Watchman and Bluewater Adventures Resource Guide, travelled with us on Island Roamer in June 2019. He regaled us with Haida history, shared his proud knowledge and passion for the Islands and introduce us to the rich marine and plant life of Haida Gwaii. 

We are grateful for the friendships that have been forged over the years with esteemed biologists, carvers, historians, Elders and conservationists. 

Stay tuned  to hear about the 2020 Season and who will be leading each trip!

Sign up for Bluewater ENews and learn about great opportunities and upcoming trips.

www.bluewateradventures.ca

Rising of the Salish Sea

Map: Salish Sea Marine Sanctuary

The term “Salish Sea” (pronounced ‘SAY-lish’) was first proposed in 1989 by professor Bert Webber (previous owner of MV Snow Goose), as a means to unite an interdependent area and help promote protection of its ecosystem.

This transboundary sea includes the Strait of Georgia, the Strait of Juan de Fuca, Puget Sound, and associated smaller waterways. Comprising about 17,000 sq. kilometers and 7,470 kilometers of coastline, the Salish Sea stretches from Desolation Sound at the north end of the Georgia Strait, around the Canadian Gulf Islands and U.S. San Juan Islands, to Oakland Bay located at the south end of Puget Sound. These rich waters are home to a multitude of animals, many of which are at risk. One such species is the Southern Resident Orca. With no surviving calves in the past three years and further deaths this summer leaving only 73 whales remaining, this crisis has now reached global attention.

Bert & Sue Webber - right centre

Bert Despite Bert Webber’s efforts, it was not until 2009 in the United States and 2010 in Canada, that the name “Salish Sea” was officially adopted. A means to pay homage to the collective history of the Coast Salish peoples – the diverse nations of the Pacific Northwest sharing a common linguistic and cultural origin – who traversed these waters for thousands of years.

Although it has been ten years since ratification, if you are still unfamiliar with the "Salish Sea", you are not alone. In a survey performed by Oregon State University and the SeaDoc Society earlier this year, it was found that only 9% of Washingtonians and 15% of British Columbians identified the overall body of water as the Salish Sea. While the name “Salish Sea” is meant to complement – not replace – existing names, it is meant to raise consciousness by defining the entire co-dependent region. Therefore, these results perhaps raise questions on how we might better protect this interconnected ecosystem through improved geographic awareness.

Bluewater Adventures is excited to present an opportunity to explore the myriad of Islands located in the Canadian Gulf Islands in the northern reaches of the Salish Sea - spring of 2020 - dates still available for a family charter or just book on yourself - contact us for more details. 

www.bluewateradventures.ca

A Remote Refuge

A Remote Refuge...

Photo: Neil Shearar

It is one of those remote places that is barely on the map. It’s name, Khutzeymateen – pronounced “Khootz-ee-mah-teen”, is a Tsimshian word meaning “confined space for salmon and bears”. The protected area consists of over 44,000 hectares and contains the largest concentration of bears in Canada . Although British Columbia passed a law forbidding trophy hunting of grizzlies, the Sanctuary is off limits to visitors, unless you have a permit. This manages the number of people that visit per year minimizing stress for the bears.

The Khutzeymateen is located in the Northern reaches of the Great Bear Rainforest. With Prince Rupert, BC as our port, guests board Island Roamer in quaint Cow Bay before heading north towards this very important and remote refuge.  Award winning writer, Phoebe Smith, captures her experience in the Khutzeymateen wonderfully in her article published this summer.

Photo: Erin Boyle

We sail through changing landscapes on this expedition. Past wildfower-dotted islands with white sand beaches and others that are mountainous with incredible, hanging bogs. While keeping watch for transient (Bigg's) orca and humpback whales, we may silently travel under sail - one of the benefits of traveling on a sailing vessel. Our compass then turns to the Khutzeymateen Inlet. It is the catchment for salmon bearing streams, important to local First Nations like the Lax’Kwa’alaams and the Metlakatla, as well as the bears and the rest of the ecosystem..

Photo: Neil Shearar

Late May is breeding season for the bears of the Khutzeymateen. Typically, the large male bears prefer to forage in areas away from humans. But breeding season brings them to the estuaries in pursuit of females (and oblivious to us), resulting in some rarely witnessed behaviour.

Few have visited this special place because it is about as easy to find as it is to pronounce. If you are drawn to "off the beaten path" places, then this experience is for you. Escape the masses and immerse yourself in BC’s Northern Great Bear Rainforest. 2020 Dates available for booking now.

Questions? Shoot us a quick email - explore@bluewateradventures.ca

Or, give us a call - 1-800-877-1770 / 604-980-3800

Waking Gwaii Haanas

Waking Gwaii Haanas

Photo: Chris Wheeler

As we enter into Fall and all Bluewater Adventures' vessels are experiencing some of the best wildlife watching in the world, we begin looking toward next year. How we craft our expedition schedule is largely dictated by the rhythms of nature. We make sure that we are present in each area of the British Columbia Coast and Southeast Alaska when it is the very best time to be there.

Haida Gwaii black bear 

One great example is Haida Gwaii – it is glorious come spring. Ancient cedar groves yawning to the rising sun after a long winter of quiet stillness in between passing storms. Vitality returns, the forest floor bursts with life and the mosses and lichens take on an even more vibrant shade of green. It is easy to understand how the Gwaii Haanas ("Islands of Beauty”) earned its name. 

We spend most of the trip exploring Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve. Thousands of sea birds migrate to the southern regions of the park to nest and raise their young each spring. One such bird is the endangered Ancient Murrelet, who returns from the sea only to lay her eggs. In late May, tiny grey fluff balls emerge from their forest dens, and travel down the beach to greet their calling parents at the water’s edge.

Ancient murrelets - parents and chicks reunited Photo - Terry Carr

Spring tides off Haida Gwaii are rich in small fish and krill – welcome nourishment for hungry foragers. Some years have seen Risso’s dolphins and salmon sharks, while other years brought orca and mola mola. One massive creature we are sure to see are humpback whales returning from their birthing grounds further south.

A main highlight that has been bringing us back for over 40 years is the Haida hospitality and their story telling. Their culture is rich with history kept alive through music, art and oral history. We are grateful for the opportunities over the years, to travel with Haida Elders like Captain Gold and Barb Wilson - Kii'iljuus, who lead our trips as resource people. In sharing their family stories, personal adventures and knowledge of the village sites we encounter, our guests and Crew are brought closer to a time when the Haida thrived and villages teemed with activity.

Photo: Lindsay Janes

This unique place is incredible to explore throughout summer, but to witness the “waking” of Gwaii Haanas in spring; to celebrate the passing of winter and welcome new life to this remote and extraordinary archipelago is a powerful testament to the change of seasons.

Questions? Shoot us a quick email

explore@bluewateradventures.ca

Or Call: 1-888-877-1770/ 604-980-3800