We woke to a cloudy, misty morning in Prince Rupert.  Luckily, the visibility was still good and the water was calm, so it was a fine day for cruising.  We were underway by 8am heading south to Newcombe Harbor.  As we left Prince Rupert, we passed the industrial section of town, where the barges and cargo ships get loaded with goods to be exported.  We then crossed Chatham sound and cruised through the narrow Chismore Passage.

Once out in open waters again, Victoria spotted dorsal fins: Killer Whales!  We slowed down to a stop and watched as the whales swam past us.  It appeared to be a pod of about 10 transient killer whales.  The first small group consisted of females and a small calf.  Bringing up the rear was an adult male with a massive dorsal fin (probably close to 6ft tall!).  He swam just feet away from our boats.  We could hear the sound of his powerful exhales and see his entire body as he broke the surface for a breath and then dove again.  It was an unforgettable experience!

By the time we reached Newcombe Harbor, the sun was out again and the water was sparkling blue.  We entered the narrow entrance to the harbor and anchored at the back of a beautiful cove.  We headed out on a dinghy excursion to find a beach and stretch our legs.  We succeeded in finding a small beach, but the forest was so thick that we couldn’t make it too far.  It still felt great to poke around on shore and examine the rocks, kelp and intertidal creatures that we found.

Later on in the evening, Deception hosted a happy hour.  Everyone contributed delicious dishes and we enjoyed the beautiful, warm evening together.  This is a diverse group in some ways, but everyone shares many common interests and hobbies.  We found out that many of the crews are into scuba diving and have dove in some of the same places.  By this time, Change of Latitude had already managed to catch two crabs, so we broke out our crab cooker for them.

Each boat went their own way for dinner.  Before long, Victoria had also caught some crab in their pot.  Marta headed out in the kayak for a relaxing paddle around the cove.  Change of Latitude continued to fish for salmon at the mouth of the harbor.  Patos spotted a black bear on the far shoreline!  All in all, it was a beautiful, clear evening in Newcombe Harbor.