Day 33 Prince Rupert 20th May 2015
By Chris
Woke up to our second day in “Rupert”. Looking through our window onto the harbour showed fog and we wondered what our day on the water hunting grizzlies would be like.
After superb waffles cooked by Mary we ran down to the dock to find we were the last ones aboard – luckily the boat was right next door to the B and B!
Nice big boat not many people. We knew some of them as previous fellow travellers
-the two sleeping backpackers from the train-one of whom had been photographed by the train guard when he was napping
– and the mysterious Steve from Vancouver who we kept bumping into around Rupert. We had chatted to him at the bus stop on the way to Buetze rapids; there he was again on the bus return to Rupert; and again walking around town.
Off we go through the harbour bound for Khutzeymateen Park, a grizzly bear sanctuary. Through the harbour looking at the mist buoys and rotting docks-made for some interesting photo opportunities.
We were given a briefing not to eat or talk on deck -the first because bears would associate food with the boat, and the latter because our voices spook the bears.
Past seals sunning on rocks and the villages of Metlakhatla and Fort Wilson a first nation township.
A young woman crew member of the Tsmshian people from Fort Wilson told us of her difficulty maintaining cultural skills such as language and balancing the demands of a university education at UBC in Vancouver.
It was a matter of time with the right people, such as her grandmother but time and distance were real constraints. She spoke with pride of having learned to dig for clams but regretted not having learnt to weave cedar bark.
It was also at about this time that my camera battery ran out and I discovered that I had not packed my spare-another famous Felstead moment!!!!
A few from other photographers here: Bear Photo Gallery Adventure Tours
After a couple of hours of the normal breathtaking interplay of mountains and water and dense forests we started getting into an area where the boat started slowing down and closer to the shoreline.
We all assembled on the various viewing decks and started looking for movement on the shoreline where after months of hibernation the bears have come to eat sedge-grass before the salmon come.
All of a sudden much pointing and whispering we scan the grass and spot a mother and two cubs digging for clams through the binoculars. What a win-the cubs are gamboling about like lunatics and the mother not paying attention just digging-all of sudden the cubs bolt into the forest pausing to see where mum is-these guys have the cutest white faces peering over the rocks-whilst mum looks at the boat and follows the kids.
So what a start- several more sightings of about ten bears in total. We have the big guy who keeps scratching his head and pooping while perched on a rock. A pair where the bloke bear is being a bloke eating then napping whilst the lady bear is working her tush off feeding and we have several more just being bears!!.
So great to watch and to know that these guys have become protected-apparently mining companies had been all over the place two years ago and the bears had retreated so the locals were delighted to see them back.
In fact one local who appeared to be staff – such was her knowledge – was a regular paying (almost every trip) visitor, she had been this week already.
She has given the bears names and has been watching them over the years recounting their happy and sad bear tales. She had an extensive photo collection of the bears and other wild life.
Access to the whole area is now restricted. A ranger is stationed out there in a really cool house on the river (see below).There was also a yacht moored where people stay and a sort of houseboat camp.
So after much excitement we headed back with the crew having one more trick up their sleeves. We slowed right down and the skipper started chirping loudly over the external PA. A crew member started throwing fish over the side and all of sudden there were ten or more eagles swooping and circling and picking the fish up in their talons -awesome sight!
Back to Prince Rupert and tried to get Mel’s local number fixed. Very obliging guys at Andre’s Electronics Emporium (my name for it)-they tried a range of technology tricks to no avail. Suggested it might fix itself on Haida Gwaii and a better network –it did.
That night we had decided on sushi at a local place called <a href=”http://www.tripadvisor.ca/Restaurant_Review-g154939-d762213-Reviews-Opa_Sushi-Prince_Rupert_British_Columbia.html” target=”_blank”>Opa Sushi </a> situated in the top of an old building which was a sail makers loft-great ambience-outstanding friendly staff (Czech and Slovakian).
The sushi and sashimi were unbelievable and fresher with more subtle flavours than we were used to. Rolled down the hill to bed.
