Our crossing of Queen Charlotte’s Sound had us up early this morning.  A beautiful sunrise lit the sky with pink and orange as our crews made their preparations for the crossing.  We were underway by 6:30am to limit our exposure to the prevailing westerly winds that often pick up in the afternoon.

With gale force winds the day before, we felt very lucky to cruise out into the calm, clear day.  We had beautiful views of the coastal mountains on the mainland.  In typical Mother Goose style, we chose to wind our way through some narrow passages in between islands before heading out into the open waters.  As we did so, we spotted Stellar sea lions, Bald eagles and the first Sea otters of the trip!

These cute furry creatures are often seen floating on their backs in kelp beds munching on their catch.  Sea otters on the west coast were nearly hunted to extinction for their luxurious furs in the 1800s.  Most of the populations we see today have been reintroduced from a small surviving population from California.

We had a pleasant trip cruising through the open waters and rocking in the ocean swell.  We got to Fury Cove in the early afternoon with plenty of time to enjoy the sunny weather.  Bob, Madeline and Jim took the kayaks out for a spin.  The rest of the crews set off in their dinghies to explore the beautiful, white-shell midden beaches that surround this area.

After dinner we all went to shore for a bonfire.  We happily gathered around the fire sharing drinks and making s’mores.  It was a beautiful night.  The tide was low and the beach was surrounded by tidal areas.  A nearly full moon rose overhead as the sky faded to dusk.