The weather prognosticators foretold winds rising in the afternoon, so we got an early start today, leaving our comfy moorage at Lagoon Cove at 7 AM.  We were rewarded almost immediately with the sighting of another early morning denizen, a B.O.B., that is to say a Bear On the Beach.   This particular B.O.B. was breakfasting on a nice fish, probably a salmon.  It was a black bear in an area where there are also the larger, dominant brown (or grizzly) bears, so it was probably happy to get such a fine meal.  We were happy, too, but for the fine views.

Johnstone Strait was relatively calm, but we did get some spray on the windows, making it feel like big water.  The bigger news were all the marine mammals.  We had our second pod of orca for the trip!  Perhaps ten animals were “logging”, just floating along together near the surface resting.  Their quiet gave us good views that were particularly appreciated by Doreen on Bonum Vitae, who joined the trip in Port McNeil.  She asked for whales and she got them!

A little further down the track we had a small pod of pacific white-sided dolphin, our first for the trip, They were jumping clear of the water, flipper-style, providing a fine show.  And there were some more Dall’s porpoises, too.  Quite a day for the dolphin clan!

By the time we reached Hardwicke Island, the predicted winds had failed to show.  Admiral Brian made the call to get while the getting was good, and we pushed on past our scheduled stop to take advantage of the favorable weather.  We hit Okisollo Rapids almost exactly at slack, which made them seem a bit anticlimactic, but calm was what we like in this fleet.  We were all anchored up in the Octopus Islands Marine Park a day ahead of schedule, back in sheltered waters, and with the new forecast calling for 35 knot winds in Johnstone Strait.  Let it blow!  We’re already through!