North Beach on Haida Gwaii is incredibly beautiful. We went for long, long walks and saw many more bald eagles than people.
Although it was an overcast day, the temperature was very comfortable, especially as it was around 38 C (100 F) at home!
Haida Gwaii is an archipelago of 150 islands, but it’s mainly comprised of two larger islands: Graham Island and Moresby Island.
Graham is the biggest and most populated of the two while Moresby is home to a small population, the airport with scheduled service and also to the Gwaii Haanas [“Islands of Beauty”] National Park Reserve and Haida Heritage Site, a federally protected area that shows evidence of Haida habitation from 13,000 years ago.
A 20 minute ferry ride connects Graham and Moresby Islands and is another chance to see more of Haida Gwaii’s breathtakingly beautiful scenery.
Earlier this year, the British Columbia government, through the Haida Gwaii Reconciliation Act, returned sovereignty of the islands to the Haida First Nation, the first time since 1787 that the Council of the Haida Nation has been functioning officially.
Because of its ecological diversity, Haida Gwaii is said to be the “Galapagos of the North.” It is home to a unique subspecies of bear as well as to the Haida ermine, animals that aren’t found anywhere else.
In the last two centuries, Haida Gwaii has had a very turbulent history as it contended with colonialism, newly introduced diseases, exploitation and racism, to name a few of the worst issues. The Haida Gwaii Reconciliation Act goes a long way to addressing many of these historical wrongs.
Very tall rain forest cedar trees.
Happy Sunday.
Port Hardy is at Vancouver Island’s northern tip.
We recently had a quick stop in this pretty town with its busy mountain-framed marina.
Happy Saturday.
Even when it’s raining, it’s beautiful. I like the interplay of cloud and mist descending on blue mountains.
As afternoon ended the sun began to break through and we had a lovely evening.
Happy weekend.
… the city from where we took the ferry to Haida Gwaii …
… the huge numbers of resident bald eagles love to soar …
… through the dense forests, marvellous inlets and passages around small islands, and to swoop past decks and balconies and perch anywhere near the life-giving ocean.
And a beautiful ocean it is.
Happy Thursday.
We arrived on the archipelago of Haida Gwaii after a very smooth ferry crossing from Prince Rupert.
The distance looks a bit deceptive but we were also crossing the Hecate Strait, an area of ocean that can live up to its namesake, so caution is required, even in the summer.
We spent our first few days in Masset at the northern end of Haida Gwaii and explored lovely beaches and many trails through the rain forest.
Haida Gwaii sits in a very temperate weather zone; it’s almost a “Goldilocks” location. It’s never too hot; never too cold, despite its more northern location. It’s lush, verdant, stunningly beautiful and very, very green with lots of huge old growth trees everywhere.
Near the ocean, we frequently found moss encrusted trees with huge ferns growing on the forest floor in this natural ode to recycling. Old trees die, fall, and then provide nutrients for the next trees and other plants.
There were many of these “nursery stumps” with new trees growing from the old ones.
More will follow later.
Happy Tuesday.
We recently saw this mule deer when we were hiking in a provincial park.
She looked up from whatever yummy plant she was eating, waggled her ears, posed, let me take a picture and then went right back to her lunch.
She looked so beautiful and unconcerned as she stood among the daisies, feeling comfortable that no harm would come to her.
Happy Monday.
We have seen some truly fantastic landscapes on this trip through northern British Columbia as we near our ultimate destination: Haida Gwaii.
The rivers are magnificent, which leads me to this question: in the photos below, are you seeing a river or is it a lake? Or, is it a river and a lake?
I’ll provide the answer in the comments.
Happy Sunday.
A bald eagle soars over the Pacific Ocean …
… beauty on the wing.
Happy Saturday.
In the Net! - Pictures and Stories of Life 