It felt strange for me to be back in Port Hardy three years after we set off from there for the kayak expedition.
The town seemed even more run down and quiet but we had been recommended a great salmon wholesalers, Hardy Bouys. Thanks Deb and Ron!
We took a quick look at Coal Harbour with its many sea front properties for sale (only $700k) and then headed to Telegraph Cove. What a gorgeous little marina and village made on boardwalks in the bay.
We had a quiet night in the carpark and waited to ask about a whale watching trip the next day. We got on the 12.15 boat and only just got out of the harbour and there were a pod of orcas. The male’s dorsal fun was huge! They were trawling around getting their fill of salmon.
Next was the humpback whales and there were loads of them. At one point we had a distant whale tail slapping the surface – the sound was incredible! While that was happening other whales were “launch feeding” shooting up out of the water to get the herring while the birds where going nuts above them. And then in the middle of it one whale was “trap feeding” where they go vertical in the water with their mouths wide open pushing the fish in with their pectoral fins.
It was just amazing and we honestly didn’t know where to look at one point. All around us you could hear whales breathing. It was amazing! We also saw some porpoise and stellar sea lions.
And then we went back to watch more orcas. What an amazing trip!
I couldn’t resist so we inflated Rubber Duckie and I headed back out. No whales to be seen, just a bald eagle, star fish and anemones. Still a gorgeous paddle though.
We finished off the day with a sunset beer in a little bay and then a celebrationary glass of wine in the pub. Perfect!
The next day we headed South and when we stopped in a rest area got chatting to a German couple travelling in a converted 1992 prison truck. They told us about a recreation area at Naka Creek, 30km off road where you camp on the waters edge and can see whales going by. We decided to explore. We made it, chose our campsite, blew up Rubber Duckie and took turns for a short paddle. I saw humpbacks while I was out and Pete saw porpoises, both watched on by a bald eagle.
We chatted to Jerry who was working for a logging company and had been here for four months. He had interesting stories from his commercial fishermen days or when a grizzly was trying to eat his esky when on his excavator !!
The next day I paddled over to West Cracroft Island and back.
A round trip of just over 5miles but it was tough against the increasing wind and the tides in Rubber Duckie. We explored the nearby waterfall, which was beautiful and then did some beachcoming.
While there we saw some porpoises and a mink. After a gorgeous sunset we spent the evening swapping travelling stories with our camping neighbours from Victoria, John and Melanie plus Jim and Leslie infront of Jim’s roaring fire. We were even served up icecream!
Next morning we said our goodbye and headed to Campbell River.
