A group of us took a morning hike around the grounds of Lagoon Cove. The trail took us across to the narrow channel called Blow Hole that we had navigated the day before. Tall ferns and Salal bushes carpeted the ground and the trees were covered with moss and fungi still dripping from the rain. Tall cedars and Douglas firs towered above us. Those that didn’t join us for the hike were treated to a brown bear sighting on the nearby beach and a tour of Kelley’s beautiful garden.

As we traveled past Hanson Island and into the Johnstone Strait, we spotted our first whale of the trip!  A humpback was surfacing just ahead of us.  We were able to watch as it surfaced for multiple breaths and took two deep dives showing its large tail fluke.  With the engines in idle we could hear its loud exhales.

A little further along, we were treated to an encounter with a playful pod of Dall’s porpoise.  These striking black and white creatures are incredibly agile, fast in the water and they love to play in the bow wake of boats.  Three of the boats got to watch as the porpoise darted in and out of their wake effortlessly breaking the surface for a breath.

We arrived in Port McNeill in the early afternoon to a warm sunny day.  This small town is a great resupply stop before we head out for almost a full week at anchor.  We were able to fuel, water, re-provision, do laundry, and explore the town.  Most of our crews went out to eat at Gus’s Pub for dinner.