What a beautiful morning! The sun is shining and spirits are high. We emerged from our anchorage in Dixie Cove into Tahsis Passage and immediately saw a black bear foraging for food down on a beach. As our bows cut through the placid water, it felt as if we were the first to ever explore these waters. The scenery was breathtaking as we maneuvered through a narrow passage into an obstacle course of rocks and islands, many of which we never would have seen had it been high tide. We were giddy with excitement as there was too much to see. Look at the islands over there! Look at the eagles flying over there! There’s another raft of otters by those rocks there! Eagles and otters and bears, oh my!! The beauty was almost too much to take in. Had there been a whale we probably would have imploded. It is mornings like these that make life worth living – and it’s only 9:30 am. We traversed our way through a mix of islands and made our way out into the Pacific Ocean where the sea welcomed us with waters almost as calm as the passage we just cruised. We couldn’t have wished for better seas. This weather window was simply too good to miss, so we decided to cruise right past our intended anchorage in the Bunsby Islands and continue on around the Brooks peninsula, past Solander Island, to Klashkish Bay. Cruising doesn’t get much better than this.
As we came around the tip of the Brooks Peninsula, an ethereal mist cloaked Solander Island. Like a scene out of Jurassic Park, the island slowly appeared and we could see tufted puffins, pelagic cormorants, common murres, and pigeon guillemots soaring above the rocks. A loud barking noise could be heard in the wind and as we rounded Solander, hundreds of Steller sea lions could be seen sunning themselves on the rocks. It was an amazing sight to see, and hear, these large creatures piled on the island. Unlike seals, sea lions can rotate their hind flippers under their bodies and walk on them. This allows them to be quite agile, climbing up steep rocks that humans would find daunting, even with our opposable thumbs. As we continued around Brooks Peninsula, Solander Island disappeared again into its protective mist, having provided us only a glimpse into the lives of these endangered species. We were grateful for the opportunity.
The entrance to Klaskish Bay is a narrow inlet, almost unnoticeable until you’re right on top of it, lined with towering trees and rocks. Once through the narrow entryway, the bay opens up and offers plenty of anchorage room. Because the weather was so accommodating and we were able to cruise further north, we are having a lay day tomorrow in which we can sleep in, go on a dinghy tour, go kayaking, and just relax in beautiful Klaskish Bay.
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