the Discovery Islands
the Inside Passage
Octopus Islands Marine Park
Sunday, July 04, 2010TheCambrians
We left Teakerne Arm this morning at 8 o'clock to time our arrival through the western rapids at Hole In the Wall, a narrow passage that cuts through Sonora and Maurelle Islands and is reportedly one of the most dramatic passes in the area. We had hoped to beat the winds with an early departure, but they were already filling in and we had to travel with 10 to 15 knots on the nose along with outgoing current which made the going slow.
We moved north through Lewis and Calm channels before turning east and entering the Hole in the Wall. There were several other boats on the water travellling in the same direction, but they had opted for a different route through the Yuculta and Dent Rapids taking a day off the entire trip but by-passing Octopus Islands Marine Park which is supposed to be one of the best in British Columbia and a stop I didn't want to miss.
We arrived in Waiatt Bay, a large anchorage adjacent to the park, by noon where we where greeted by the haunting calls of a loon as we dropped the hook. We were eager to explore so, after lunch, we all piled in the dinghy and went to the head of the bay where there's a trail that winds through a tranquil, second-growth forest across Quadra Island to Small Inlet. It felt good to stretch our legs, and paws, especially since we knew it was going to be the last stop where we could comfortably roam without being concerned about sharing the trail with bears. From here on out, we'll be in wilderness.
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