Weather: Our last few week’s in Barnard Harbour has proven to be as beautiful as September can be. With mixtures of sun and showers, we are being privy to the most magical time surrounding Princess Royal Island.

Wildlife: To describe the happenings in Barnard Harbour for our last two weeks is almost unbelievable to convey. A group of five humpback whales have made this safe harbour their primary fishing grounds, the enormous bait balls of herring and pilchards are enticing gulls and Stellar sea lions also. As they rise to the surface from the depths, they expel water from their blow holes creating a mist known as their ‘spout’. In addition to their spout they are also making a noise similar to an elephant – the call echoes through the harbour and creates a sense of amazement and wonder. They are not shy these whales, approaching the dock within several feet: lunge feeding, breaching, diving down and exposing their tails one after the other. They dive and fish in synchrony, the beauty is stunning - all the while, the sea lions are chasing after them making their own noise in their own adept fashion. Our local whale researchers and our Gitga’at staff have remarked that this is the most whale activity seen in this territory for a long time: the whales have returned to feed and soon will depart for warmer waters in Hawaii. They have been singing for over a week straight, their sound captured via the hydrophones in Whale Channel. Their bellies will be plentiful with the nutrient-rich Pacific Northwest Waters.

Ocean Fishing: The last enduring anglers of the season hooked into some fighting Coho jigged for Halibut without disappointment and cast a few flies into the kelp beds to be rewarded cast after cast with Black Bass who will bite at just about anything. It’s been a remarkable season with great fishing throughout the whole season one for the record books with lots of smiles and stories to be told through the winter.

Fly Fishing: The Green River provides a beautiful sandy embankment with walk and wade fishing, but with water levels rising higher each day this space is dwindling. The salmon have needed the rains for their final push up to their spawning grounds, and they have been blessed by the recent downpours. Two guests from the UK having never fly fished before were enthralled with their experience on the Green. One guest hooked into a massive Chum salmon or ‘Dog salmon’, completely marvelled by this large fish of purple and green stripes, he was happy to release it back into the water for its final push.

Activities: Our nearest rainforest excursion from the lodge is Cameron Cove, which is closed off for most of September for bear season. With little bear sightings in the cove, we were able to take a number of our last guests into the full magic of the Great Bear Rainforest. A group of conservationist experienced the full cycle of the salmon run coming to fruition. While approaching Cameron Cove via kayak large schools of pink salmon are motioning towards the creek, the odd Chum salmon sticks out in comparison. Upon entering the cove, the noise of eagles, gulls, and many other shore birds is a constant cacophony for the avid birdwatcher. Juvenile bald eagles with their brownish plumage are practicing their hunting skills, leaving maimed salmon as a feast for the other birds. The humpies (male Pink salmon) are aggressively moving forward and scatter away as the kayaks approach. The kayaks are left behind and our guests ventured into the mossy forest floor of Cameron Cove. Mushrooms are in great abundance, as are berries, with the salmon nearby this is an evident feast for bears. Our interpretive guide goes into details of all that is happening, but the visuals speak volumes. They are so alive and purposeful, coming to the stream of their birth, to spawn and then die themselves. Their nutrient-rich bodies are life sustaining to all the flora and fauna of the rainforest. Their bodies found along the shoreline, disregarded carcass by bears, wolves, and eagles start to the decomposition process that contributes to rich biomass of the Salmon Forest.

Conclusion: “Get to know the land and its wonders yourself. Care for it as you would a loved one. Share the joy of discovery and the thrill of exploration, have fun and laugh. Hike the forests, climb the peaks, ski the ice fields, walk the beaches, canoe and kayak the rivers, lakes and seashore. Or just lie in a meadow, breathe the clean air and renew yourself. Stop. Think. Listen. Hear the roaring vastness of a great valley, or the sigh of wind in the treetops, or the eternal thunder of breakers on the shore. Then go back and speak to the world from your heart.”

Randy Stoltman

Your Host….Robert Penman, General Manager