James and Laura Aboard!

James and Laura helped us move Heron from Cortes Island to Port McNeill in late July.  It was hot and sunny when they landed in at Cortes...

But alas, big B.C. rains set in the next day.  James and Laura proved to be not only brave but game, as the (much-needed) rain continued for the NEXT TWO DAYS straight...

We were rewarded in the end, however, by one of the most memorable evenings any of us have ever spent aboard Heron.  After pounding our way up Johnstone Strait, we motored into the Broughton Islands, which in the early evening light were all misty and silvered.  Then Laura said, "Is that a whale?"

And sure enough, it was...

Then we all witnessed a remarkable thing: a group of Humpbacks 'bubble-net feeding,' working in tandem to drive a school of herring together before scooping them up in a big coordinated whale-feast, so to speak.  We don't have pics of the whales circling round then rising up out of the water, unfortunately.  But the water, boiling with birds and bald eagles swooping in for the banquet looked magical.  Like this...

After a cozy dinner and evening spent anchored in Spout Cove, we woke the next morning to bluebird skies. James and Laura took the helm while Jeff worked on the Macerator (and Sam texted his encouragement from NYC:  "it's not a Heron trip w/out a Macerator adventure").  We tied up in Port McNeill just in time for the float plane ride home.

Nikki's EcoVentures!

Nikki

 

Meet forest-dweller Nikki van Schyndel.  One of the most memorable BC coast days we've spent in a long time was with Nikki, who provides  customized eco-tours through her one-woman company:  Echo Bay EcoVentures.

When we told Nikki we were interested in learning more about the B.C. coast's native plants,  she took us to this lovely Broughton islet, where we spent the next hour crawling around munching on  sea asparagus, red and green-leaved orack (good in salads), arrowgrass (grass that tastes like cilantro), and spoonwart (spoon-shaped leaves, tastes like mustard)!

It was fascinating to realize  how many plants growing here are delicious (and handy when your boat-lettuce is rotting). We had a great time foraging and listening to Nikki's astonishing stories.  Before we shoved off, Nikki took out her knife, and we pried some barnacles off the rocks to cook later for lunch. 

Next, we sped off in Nikki’s skiff to the deserted First Nations village at Mamalilaculla.   

We hiked across the island with Nikki... 

Arriving at the immense support posts of this ancient First Nations Long House, and adjacent abandoned cottage.

Wolf carved on  ancient mortuary pole

The art of fire...

For the day's grand finale, Nikki started a fire on a deserted beach, using nothing but cedar strips. We were blown away...

Our  Lunch...

And even more so when she cooked up a late lunch of rice, dried salmon, dried kelp, cranberries,  bolstered by all the foraged greens and wild mushrooms we’d collected earlier.  It was both lovely and incredibly delicious. Then came the barnacles...  which Nikki  simmered in a pot of salt water.

Jeff wasn’t sure about eating a barnacle. “Let me wrap my head around this one a minute…,” he said. " I can’t believe I’m going to eat a barnacle.  I’m from New Jersey! I like hot dogs!!”  But in the end, he slurped down two barnacles, claiming they tasted kind of like clams.

We can't to read Nikki's book, Becoming Wild, due out this spring. Thanks again for the amazing day, Nikki.

Nikki and the Barnacle Eater, headed home.