We had an early start this morning which meant we got to enjoy the serenity of the early hours. The owner of NW Explorations, Ross Tenant, came and shared a Canadian specialty at our 0630 skipper meeting: Tim Hortons doughnuts. After coffee and doughnuts, we cast off from the dock to head north. Sun beams shone down on us from the clouds as we pulled out of Port Sidney Marina, and we took a pause to enjoy the view of mountains, islands, and sea all painted with rays of morning light.

As we made our way through the Gulf Islands, we were blessed with not one but two whale sightings! We came upon one pod or Orcas in Trincomali Channel just as we were coming up on Wallace Island. We saw a total of four in this pod: 1 male, 2 females, and a baby. Male orcas can be over 30ft long and weigh over 10 tons while females are a bit smaller, around 25ft and weigh in at around 7 tons. We saw another pod as we were going through Porlier Pass with two males and at least three others. Although the males are larger and are a magnificent sight with their 6ft high dorsal fins, orcas have a matriarchal social structure. The grandmother whales of the pod teach the younger members life skills for many years after they are no longer able to give birth.

With the sun upon us and calm seas we crossed the Strait of Georgia on our way to Madeira Park. Once we arrived in Madeira, four of our boats anchored and one headed to one of the many marinas in the bay. Most of the crew enjoyed a slow evening on board with a few dingy rides to explore the area. The crew of Exact went into the small town and had dinner ashore with a view of all our anchored floating homes from up on the hill. Before the day was done the crew of Patos made the rounds to check on boat operations and drop off a loaf of freshly baked sourdough bread to each boat.

P.S. Missed this year’s Princess Louisa Flotilla? Not to worry, there’s always next year! Send us an email to reserve your spot on our 2023 Princess Louisa Flotilla.