We returned to Sonora Resort after the Grizzly Bear tour for a spot of lunch before we headed back out on the water for an Eco Tour.
The Eco Tour was run by Aaron, our knowledgeable guide who told us about everything from sea life and local animals to the history of the area and information about all of the other islands around us.
Our first point of interest was over near Stuart Island where we got into the thick of the rapids. Strong tidal currents raise the water levels at certain times during the day, pushing the rushing water around and forming whirlpools. Our boat slipped around these tumultuous spots as we held on and learned more about the ebb and flow of the Pacific Ocean in this area.
We headed South-South West and looped back around to where the Stellar Sea Lions like to hang out on the rocks. Approaching this area you can get a strong whiff of the animals (and what they do on the rocks). Aaron made sure our boat slowed to a crawl and kept its distance so we didn’t disturb them.
Before we tucked around the West side of Sonora Island we went into an inlet where tugboats have gone over the last century to wait out the rushing currents. Remnants of the waiting tug crews can be found on the shore, almost as a monument to their industry and to say “we were here”.
We headed West again and spotted harbour seals, white sided Pacific dolphins, and kept our eyes peeled for a plume of water or tail flipping out of the water in the distance. Aaron was on the radio with other boats who were out this morning and they had spotted a pod of Orcas. Unfortunately by the time we got out there they had already moved down the coast of Vancouver Island. However, the was a Humpback Whale still in the area.
Something was spotted off in the distance so we headed over to see if it was the Humpback. The boat’s pace slowed to a crawl and we got out our binoculars, cameras, and anything to help us spot signs of life on the ocean. We waited about 10 minutes then we took off again however as soon as the boat was turned around up came a big tail along with a plume of water as the Humpback surfaced. We looped back around, stopped the boat again and were able to take a few photos before he ducked down again.
The experience at Sonora has been amazingly unique and we were educated about how to respect the animals from both land and sea. I would have never thought I’d be able to observe both bears and a whale in a single day but it happened at Sonora.
We woke up before the sun this morning to head out on a Grizzly Bear watching tour. From Sonora, we hopped into a zodiac and were whisked away a good 45 minutes North East, over to the mainland.
The boat ride over was half of the experience in itself as we slipped between islands, passed over rushing currents and dodged whirlpools. We also learned a bit about the area’s history and got some tips on bear safety from our guide before heading in to Orford Bay to dock.
Once on land, we met up with Homalco Wildlife Tours who lead us to two of their five bear observation towers. After a heavy rainfall the night before, the creeks and rivers we crossed along the way were swollen beyond their regular banks. We watched the rushing water cascade over boulders and under bridges as we made our way to the first lookout.
At our first stop up on Tower 4, we saw a Grizzly make his way up and down the river as flocks of birds parted to give him some room to wander.
Afterward we made our way to Tower 5, which was on a spit directly where two rivers merge. From this vantage point we saw the most action including one bear catching a salmon while another tried unsuccessfully to swim on over and say hello.
Our morning on the tour was extremely fruitful and I had a hard time selecting which of my 173 photos I would be posting to Flickr. We headed into the lodge to grab some lunch while the clouds built up and let out a healthy hour-long downpour. The rain lasted until we suited up again and headed out for our Eco Tour, which I’ll cover in another post.
Growing up in BC we used to camp every summer and explore every inch of wilderness our Province offered up (from Bella Coola to Cranbrook). From the time I was old enough to zip up my sleeping bag in a tent I’ve been avoiding bears and it wasn’t until today that I’ve had such a close encounter with them in the wild. I sincerely appreciate the opportunity we had to view these creatures (in a safe environment accompanied by professionals) and I’ll never forget this experience.
This afternoon my sister and I hopped onto a helicopter at YVR’s South Terminal and were whisked away to Sonora Resort.
We’re here for a few days and will experience all that the resort and the region have to offer. Starting with a 5-hour Grizzly Bear tour at 7:00am tomorrow, we’ll be boating, fishing, and dining in style.
It’s been several years since I had a girls getaway with my sister and we’re both really excited. I’m not sure if I’ll be posting live updates throughout the weekend on my site (probably just on Twitter) but I’ll have full recaps of all of our adventures posted at a later date. You can follow @SonoraResort on Twitter to get a sense of where we are and what the resort is all about.
Two new ice rinks are opening next week and to celebrate, the Vancouver Parks Board is hosting free family skating events.
Trout Lake Ice Rink (3350 Victoria Drive at East 15th Avenue)
Official Opening Ceremonies
Thursday, September 24 – 5:15 to 5:45pm
Free Public Skate 6:30 to 8:00pm
The Trout Lake rink will be home to figure skating training sessions for 2010 and the wood throughout the building includes downed timbers from Stanley Park.
Killarney Ice Rink (6260 Killarney Street at 49th Avenue)
Official Opening Ceremonies
Friday, September 25 – 2:30 to 3:00pm
Free Public Skate 3:30 to 5:00pm
The Killarney rink is a part of the Killarney Community Centre which has been getting renovations over the last few years. There is a new lobby to connect the pool and community centre to the ice rink which will be a short track speed skating training facility for 2010. After the Olympics the rink will be converted for community use.
This is now the sixth week of my Before and After photo series. I was a bit stumped this morning when trying to think of a theme so I just started typing random search words into the City Archives photo database.
Photo: Philip T Timms – Item #: CVA 677-565
What I ended up with was a small collection of points of interest and touristy landmarks throughout the City (and on the North Shore). Enjoy!… Continue reading this post ⟩⟩
