Mother Goose Leg 1, Day 18 – Culpepper Lagoon to Hawk Bay

An ethereal mist lingered over the still waters of Culpepper Lagoon. We could have stayed here for days, weeks, perhaps never have left. Maybe we could have formed our own little Grand Banks community and lived off the land and sea. The journey must go on, of course, and the tide was right to exit the narrows so we raised anchor and headed for Hawk Bay. We were grateful both that we were able to experience a place such as this and that a place like this still exists in this world. Culpepper Lagoon is meant to be shared with the lucky few whose lives find their way into its embrace. We take our memories of this wondrous sanctuary and leave only a small wake in our trail as we return the lagoon to its natural habitants- hoping they continue to thrive.

We left the lagoon, headed back down Kynoch Inlet to Mathieson Channel. From here there was a short maze of passages and channels through which we meandered until we connected with Princess Royal Channel. From there, we cruised along mainland B.C. and the east side of Princess Royal Island en route to Hawk Bay, 85 miles to the north. A whale made a brief appearance before diving out of sight and we were able to see a brown bear foraging on shore. However, all of our eyes were peeled for Spirit bears. These bears’ primary population is centered in this part of the world. Although a rare sight, one was seen along this route last year, and we had hoped another would decide to show itself this year.

A point of interest along the way was Butedale on Princess Royal Island. This is the site of a former cannery which has fallen into complete disrepair. The buildings are dilapidated and falling down and the docks barely accessible. However, there is a beautiful waterfall next to the cannery ruins which makes for a breathtaking site. A lone caretaker remains onsite, selling homemade ice cream to passing travelers.

As we neared Hawk Bay, we proceeded through another series of narrow channels, passages and islands that made us thankful for our charts. It would be very easy to get turned around within the labyrinth waterways and land masses. The sky had fully cleared of clouds and its warmth and vibrant blue hues enveloped us as we entered Hawk Bay, making the water looked deceivingly inviting. We made our anchorage in this serene little bay, all the while being watched by several bald eagles perched high above us. It was a perfect evening and the bay was full of life. There were large jelly fish and enormous polychaete worms (think 18 inch swimming centipedes) meandering all around the boats. This sparked the scientists in Casey and Sue and they spent their evening researching the mysteries of life within Hawk Bay – well, at least the marine life that would fit in a small vial.