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.

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!

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www.bluewateradventures.ca

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

GOVERNMENT OF CANADA AND COUNCIL OF THE HAIDA NATION AGREE TO SHARE MANAGEMENT OF THE WATERS AROUND GWAII HAANAS

VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA, January 16, 2010 -- The Honourable Jim Prentice, Canada’s Environment Minister and Minister Responsible for Parks Canada, and Guujaaw, President of the Haida Nation, today signed a momentous agreement that commits the Government of Canada and the Council of the Haida Nation to share in the planning, operations and management of the waters surrounding the Gwaii Haanas protected area in southern Haida Gwaii. For the full press release, click here


Picture: Credit Parks Canada
Guujaaw, President of the Council of the Haida Nation (from left), the Honourable Jim Prentice, Canada's Environement Minister and Minister responsible for Parks Canada, and Mr. Alan Latourelle, CEO of Parks Canada Agency, are shown at the signing of the MOU to share management of the waters around Gwaii Haanas, Saturday, January 16, 2010, in Vancouver, BC.

Queen Charlotte Islands Renamed Haida Gwaii in Historic Deal

Photo: Bluewater Adventures, Leanne Carey

B.C.'s Queen Charlotte Islands have officially been renamed Haida Gwaii as part of a historic reconciliation agreement between the province and the Haida Nation, Premier Gordon Campbell announced Friday in Vancouver. The modern native name for the group of more than 150 rugged islands off the province's north coast will will appear on revised provincial maps and all other official provincial documents and presentations, the premier said. The archipelago was first named after one of the ships of British Captain George Dixon in 1778, who called his vessel Queen Charlotte after the wife of King George III.

Haida Gwaii was created as an alternative name for the islands to acknowledge the history of the Haida Nation as part of its land claim efforts in the 1980s. According to the Haida Gwaii Tourism Association, the name translates as "islands of the people" in the Haida language.

The B.C. government later adopted the confusing name Queen Charlotte Islands/Haida Gwaii. For the full CBC report click here © CBC News

Bluewater Adventures is offering many tours of Haida Gwaii in 2010. From May until August each year, the Island Roamer calls Haida Gwaii home. Join us July 4-11, 2010 for an Ancient Insights Adventure.... exploring the history of the islands, plant usage, culture and much more. Check out our special trips page!

Amazing Sightings in Haida Gwaii!

The 4 crew and 12 guests onboard the Island Roamer right now in the Queen Charlotte Islands had a great wildlife show yesterday. They spotted two Sperm whales, which were both approximately 40 feet long. The whales were located roughly about 10 miles off the Islands in the open Pacific waters. What an experience! To top it off, they also saw 45 black-footed Albatross the same day. We are looking forward to seeing the pictures and the videos when they get back from their trip.

Getting to Know Humpbacks

By Bruce Whittington, Bluewater Naturalist

Taxis, buses, ferries, a plane ride or two — it’s not easy to get to Haida Gwaii for a trip with Bluewater Adventures. But the effort seems to vanish once we are underway. Each time I return, I am reminded of why I love this place: it’s the abundance of life here.

Within the national park reserve, vast forests stand unchanged by industry. The Haida people continue in their ancient relationship to this land. In May, thousands of tiny Ancient Murrelet chicks make their midnight dashes to the sea, in search of their parents whom they know only by the sound of their voices.

Perhaps the most visible of Haida Gwaii’s residents are its Humpback Whales. Until the 1940s, these gentle leviathans were hauled ashore at Rose Harbour, and rendered into oil and meal. The population was reduced to a fraction of its historical size. Today, though, the Humpbacks have returned in a way that is at once encouraging and exhilarating.

They come from Hawaii, where they spend the winters mating, and giving birth. But they do not feed there. In the spring, they migrate to the North Pacific, with its teeming marine food chain. The 40-tonne whales feed largely on krill, tiny animals that may be less than two centimeters in length.

On a typical Bluewater cruise, we see whales daily. Some are identified only by their distant blows, while others feed intently within easy photo range of the boat. It’s not unusual to see 20 or more whales in a given area.

How many whales are there? Are we seeing the same whales over and over? I’ve been photographing the whales in the years I’ve been a naturalist for Bluewater, and it’s fascinating to see how different these animals can be.

Researchers are identifying Humpback Whales by the pattern on the underside and trailing edge of their broad tail flukes. They range from black through mostly white, with an amazing variety of patterns in between.

Canada’s Department of Fisheries and Oceans hosts a web site with photos of over 1,000 Humpbacks known to occur in British Columbia waters. They are grouped according to the amount of white in their flukes:
http://www-sci.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/sa/cetacean/humpbackwhale/default_e.htm

Using this site, I’ve identified at least eight whales in my photos. It’s exciting to know that “my” whales have been seen before. But more exciting was a whale photographed in 2008 that appeared again in my photos from 2009! The whale’s number is BCZ0273, and here are the photos. You can see that the pattern on the tail is the same a year later. (The yellow markings are algae growth, and they do change over time.)

It shouldn’t surprise me to see the same whales returning, but it is a thrill just the same. It gives me hope that perhaps this diverse and wild landscape will continue sustain the Humpback Whales and all the other species that call it home.

Bruce Whittington, Naturalist

Guests are Soaking in the Charlottes

Natural hot springs, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, hundreds of Humpback whales, ancient totem poles, Haida Elders, local culture, migrating sea birds, untouched beaches, black bears, sunshine, gourmet food...the list goes on. What a week on the Island Roamer!

Birds of Haida Gwaii, Queen Charlotte Islands

Photo: Bruce Whittington

The spring plankton bloom which provides a rich influx of food into the ecosystem and supports breeding colonies of up to one million seabirds. Some of the more colourful species include: tufted puffins, horned puffins, rhinoceros auklets, black-footed albatross, black oystercatchers, and pigeon guillemots. With such abundant bird life, raptors, such as the peregrine falcon, are common in the Charlottes. Heavy concentration of Bald eagles. Our constant companions will be the smaller seabirds such as ancient murrelets, marbled murrelets, common murres, phalaropes, and gulls. If you are an avid birder, the best time to be in the area is May and June.

Join avid birder, author and Naturalist - Bruce Whittington May 23-31, 2009.

Coastal Weather

The weather this year was great, but the months that stand out for having exceptional weather were May, September and October. These are also probably some of the best times to be along the coast witness the diversity of wildlife. Early May in the Charlottes is spectacular, as the Humpbacks have just come over from Hawaii in large numbers and are feeding in the rich waters. Bird migrations are taking place in May and the sun seems to shine more consistently.

Book before December 31st on your 2009 departure and take advantage of our 2008 prices!