Visit to Haida Gwaii - First Impressions
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A week was not nearly enough.
We’ve just returned from a week aboard the Afterglow and a wonderful trip with Jenn and Chris from Ocean Light Adventures and I can honestly say that we could have easily spent much more time exploring and learning about the Haida culture and beautiful landscape. We travelled with Jenn and Chris last year and I wrote about it here.
This trip came in the middle of our home renovations and we couldn’t afford to be away any longer than a week, so I’m glad that we went - it was a much needed break and with no cell service for most of the week - a wonderful time to be unplugged. Amazingly the world did not end and no significant renovation event occurred because we were not available.
Anchorage at the end of our trip on Moresby Island - the first hint of clouds for the trip. (EXIF data f8, 1/200s, 300mm. ISO5000)
What we did find was peace and tranquility that allowed us to slow down and really reconnect with ourselves, each other and nature. What a wonderful gift!
We also met some great people who made the trip fun and interesting (thanks for a great week Patty, Jane, Kim, Graham, Janis and David). Our hosts Jenn and Chris did an amazing job keeping us on track, well fed and entertained with so many interesting locations - plus their long time friend Danny Katt (naturalist extraordinaire) joined the crew for the week and shared so much information on the birds, animals, plants and areas we visited - it was a truly educational trip on so many levels.
Photography from a boat
Our week was spent primarily on the Afterglow, a 60 foot vessel that became our home for the week. Kory and I shared one of the aft cabins and we were cozy and slept very well. We also used the zodiac extensively for transport to shore for walks and Haida Village visits as well as getting in close for some wildlife viewing. Lastly we spent time either early morning or late afternoon in kayaks - paddling around secluded bays or inlets and exploring the marine life and shoreline.
One of the many things that I enjoy about these trips is the variety of activities which keeps me mentally and physically stimulated. There is also a wonderful library onboard for looking things up to learn more about what we’ve seen or discussed.
For me one of the key gems of the trip is the photographic opportunities, however I will say that shooting from a moving boat (all three levels of boats) can be challenging when we’re in bigger swells or bobbing up and down. I’m sure that almost half of the images I took are going to be deleted due to lack of focus or the subject cut off at the neck or knees. It took a while to get my photographic sea legs and learn to time my burst shots appropriately. I just wish the birds would have timed their activities with my timing, but no such luck. I found that I used higher shutter speeds than usual and burst mode - shooting 4 - 5 shots at a time with usually at least one being in frame and focus. The subject tracking features of my camera were also invaluable in locking onto a subject and following it through all the various movements.
Early morning photography from a kayak. (iPhone photo courtesy of K. McIntyre)
I am also very grateful for the new 600mm f6.3 lens that I purchased for this trip - it’s about 1/2 the weight of other 600mm lenses (which is good for travelling with weight restrictions), but it’s also easier to hand hold which is what most of my photography ended up being. I used a 1.4 teleconverter which gave me an effective focal length of 840mm, but the compromise was a minimum aperture of f9 and higher ISO levels in the morning and evenings.
Regardless of the challenges of shooting moving subjects from a moving boat and long lenses with aperture limitations, I had a wonderful time and found such an interesting variety of subjects to photograph. I also appreciated everyone’s patience with my long lens (I promise that the gallery of images will be available soon!).
Overview of the trip
Roxy pining away for us while we were galavanting in Haida Gwaii. (iPhone image - courtesy of Shelley)
We landed at Sandspit Airport two days before our departure to ensure our luggage arrived with us and to give us some time to explore the area. One thing I should mention is the mild (read that as off the charts) panic we experienced the afternoon before our departure when the roofing company arranged for the dumpster bin to be moved in front of our garage - effectively blocking our vehicle in. Multiple phone calls and texts later we were sure that we’d need to find a different way to get Roxy to her vacation getaway (aka Alan and Shelley’s home), cancel our airport parking and arrange alternate transport to the airport - we finally got the bin moved at 8 pm and we were able to deliver Roxy safely.
An old growth cedar stump at Dover Creek trail. (EXIF data f5.6, 1/200s, 200mm, ISO6400)
Once on the plane we let the renovation chaos drift away and focused on our adventure. The first afternoon we drove our rental vehicle around part of Moresby Island which is the largest community on the island. There are rock beaches, walking trails, hikes through the forest and a ferry to Graham Island (home of the cultural museum - an absolute must visit, Jaggs Coffee Shop - also an absolute must visit and site of the Golden Spruce Tree).
After meeting four of the six other Afterglow guests at the B&B we did an evening hike along Dover Creek which winds through old growth forest with golden light peaking through the trees. We thoroughly enjoyed the walk and made plans to take the morning ferry to Graham Island and explore Skidegate and other towns along the coast.
Dungeness crab fest from fresh catch. (EXIF data iPhone image)
We got an early morning pick up at the B&B and after meeting the final two guests we headed to the Afterglow along 17 kms of bumpy gravel logging roads. Once on board we headed out for seven days of island touring with visits to four abandoned Haida villages including Koona (Skedans), Skang Gwaay (UNESCO Heritage site), Hot Springs Island (where we enjoyed the hot springs), and Tanu. We also explored islands and bays - mooring in lovely secluded spots rich with wildlife and birds. One morning was spent jigging for ling cod (Kory caught a large 40lb (ish) ling cod, Graham another guest caught a slightly smaller one and David a third guest managed to catch a rock fish which we returned to the sea). We feasted on fresh fish several nights and the fish heads were used as crab bait and we enjoyed fresh Dungeness crab for another dinner.
Apart from the Haida village visits we made several shore trips to explore the area including a bog walk (so fascinating - I’ll do a separate post on this) and Limestone Island where they band the Marbled Murrelet chicks (an elusive bird with about a third of the world’s population nesting at this location - up in the trees of old growth forests).
Each evening we were treated to a summary of the day’s wildlife and bird sightings along with interesting facts by Danny Katt. It became an entertaining part of the evening with his brief (“no more than 45 seconds tonight Chris”) chats. We learned so much from these interesting talks and the experience was richer for the laughs and information gained.
The wildlife list curated by Danny Katt with a “brief” discussion of each sighting. (EXIF data iPhone image)
What stands out most
I think that for me what stood out most from this trip is the stories we heard from the Haida village watchmen (Haida people who spend the summer caring for the sites and educating visitors with history and cultural facts). Theirs is an oral history so each telling of the stories has input from the narrator which adds dimension and character to the facts. I have a greater understanding (which really highlights that I have so much more to learn) and respect for the people who have called these islands home for hundreds of years. The loss of the Golden Spruce tree to an “eco vandal” struck the community deeply and the book by John Vaillant is one that I would recommend reading to gain a better understanding of the tensions and conflicts between the indigenous community and loggers prior to establishment of the National Park status for Haida Gwaii.
In this sense, the islands represent a sort of existential intertidal zone—not just between the forest and the sea, but between the surface and spirit worlds. (John Vaillant - The Golden Spruce)
Totem pole remains on Skung G’waay Island - the UNESCO site at the southern end of Haida Gwaii. (EXIF data iPhone image courtesy of K. McIntyre)
Have you ever visited a historically significant site that has had a lasting impact on you? I’d love to hear about it or any other experiences of Haida Gwaii. Please leave a comment below or contact me directly by clicking on the Connect With Me button.
Colourful kayaks ready for an early morning paddle. (EXIF data f8, 1/200s, 24mm, ISO500)
I hope you’ll come back soon, share a cuppa, relax and enjoy more of my musings.
