Malcolm Island: eagles and orcas TR
Malcom Island is off the northern tip of Vancouver Island in the Broughton Archipelago islands. Its known for tons of wildlife and more specifically a place where pods of Orca whales go to rub themselves on the shore of the beach. The shoreline is covered in very round rocks that have been worn down by the ocean and for unknown reasons, the Orcas go there every summer to rub on the rocks. My wife and I decided it was time to go see for ourselves, so we packed up the car and headed north.
Malcolm island is also home to a small Finnish fishing community known as Sointula. The Finns settled on Malcolm island over a hundred years ago to set up a Utopian society and escape the harsh conditions of immigrant slave labor they had been experiencing in Vancouver.
Aside from the historical Fishing village, the island is virtually devoid of any development. The free campground at Bere point we stayed at is located on the opposite side of the island and right on the same beach the whales rub on! We were the only ones camping and couldnt see anything man made as far as the eye could see.
While enjoying our morning coffee on the beach day 1, we heard what sounded like heavey breathing or exhaling from the water. I looked up and saw an orca breach out of the water right off the shoreline and go back down. another one soon followed. we watched the dorsel fins work their way down the beach, supposedly rubbing themselves on the rocks. My many attempts to photogragh failed miserably as it was hard to predict when the whales would breach and it was only for a breif moment before they headed back down. I was told more whales frequent the spot later in the summer and its easier to get a good photograph.
moon rising our first night camping
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view of the queen charlotte straights from our campsite
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Alaskan cruise ship heading down the inside passage back to Vancouver
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walking down the desolate beach
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an eagle flew by
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and landed in this tree
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this bird wanted a peice of my dog, who had to run like a mofo to get away!
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Beautiful Bay trail meanders through this lush rain forrest abutting the beach and is part of the Bere point campground. Theres a few whale viewing stations set up at various view points high up along the trail.
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large western red cedars are making a comeback after being cut over a century ago by the original Finnish settlers. According to the locals, wood from Malcolm island was used to build the original bridge from Vancouver to North Van by the Finnish immigrants.
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kind of spooky when you get way in there
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Malcolm island is one of the coolest places Ive ever been. The sheer remoteness and wilderness experience of the inside passage is something usually only seen from a boat sailing by. Im already planning a sailboat charter later in the summer to be able to really get out and explore the entire Broughton Archipelago.
more pics to come if I motivate...
