When we were planning our Westward Ho II road trip, we allocated the month of May to New Mexico. With that in mind, I made plans to take a short embedded solo trip to Prince Rupert, B.C. to join a grizzly bear day tour offered by Prince Rupert Adventure Tours. This trip was a prelude to our upcoming drive to British Columbia, a journey that promised both adventure and discovery.
JET dropped me off at ABQ Sunport on Monday afternoon. I flew to Vancouver through Denver, arriving late that night and checked into a nearby hotel. The next day, I boarded an Air Canada turboprop plane for the 90-minute flight to Prince Rupert, B.C. The mountains were in full view when we left Vancouver but were blanketed by thick, cottonlike clouds as we approached Prince Rupert, a surprisingly bustling city of around 20,000 on British Columbia’s coast, with a robust cargo port, grain, propane, and wood pellet terminals, a cruise ship port and a vast fleet of all sizes of fishing vessels.
YPR Airport, essentially a large one-room building with a runway, is located on Digby Island, which requires a 10-minute (school) bus ride, a 20-minute ferry ride to the dock at Prince Rupert, and another 10-minute bus ride to the city center.
Once downtown, Prince Rupert is quite walkable, if a little hilly. I arrived at Eagle Bluff B&B, my home for the next two nights, after a brisk 15-minute walk. Blue, the proprietor, had upgraded me to the Harbor Suite, with a private deck and view of the harbor.
I had dinner that evening at the Breakers Pub, followed by a short walk around town before hitting the hay. Note: if you like fish & chips, Prince Rupert is THE place to be. Some of the best fish (halibut) and chips you are likely to find.
The following day, Blue provided a sublime breakfast of homemade yogurt, fresh fruit, pancakes, and coffee/juice. Afterwards I headed to Prince Rupert Adventure Tours to check in for my 10AM departure.
Guests board the Inside Passage, a banana-yellow pontoon boat that can comfortably hold 100 passengers and the crew. The vessel is in pristine condition, comfortable, and quite fast, with a top speed of 21 knots. There are multiple inside and outside decks for viewing wildlife and scenery. There is also a well-stocked snack bar.
There were only 24 guests on my chosen date, which allowed for plenty of room for photography. However, the spaciousness of the ship would make photography manageable even at capacity. Once everyone was checked in, we embarked on our journey.
The eventual destination is the Khutzeymateen Inlet, a two-hour trip from Prince Rupert. The scenery is quite breathtaking and quickly becomes wilderness, with little evidence of human life.
Along the way, we saw sea birds and an occasional humpback whale. We also saw some stellar sea lions on a rock outcropping that quickly slipped into the water as we approached. At the mouth of the inlet, the crew gave operating instructions for our time there: No talking while outside on deck if possible, and then only in a low whisper, walk quietly, no food or drink of any kind outside on deck.
It was not long before we spied our first grizzly bear, a lone male digging for clams on the beach. He was far away, perhaps 150 yards or more, but wonderful to see, nonetheless. The bear looked somewhat thin, evidence that he had only recently emerged from his months-long hibernation. By the fall, he will have fattened up considerably.
A little farther along, we spied a mother and two-year-old cub named Hot Chocolate and Marshmallow, respectively. They were also quite far away, farther than the first bear. They were aware of our presence but continued to munch on vegetation.
We eventually passed the Khutzeymateen Lodge, the only evidence of human activity in the inlet. The lodge offers three and four-day stays for up to 10 guests, with multiple opportunities for up-close viewing of the bears. I can only image how quiet – and dark – it must be there at night!
Eventually, the ship reached the end of the inlet, and it was time to start slowly heading back to Prince Rupert. We had not seen any more grizzlies after the mother and cub, so everyone was scanning the banks closely. We saw one last lone male before we reached the mouth of the inlet, along with a couple of humpback whales.
The sail back took a slightly different route through what is called the “Work Channel,” a very productive fishing area that humpback whales also frequent in season. The whales work together to force their favorite food source, krill, up to the surface where they open their huge mouths and take in the krill-filled water, then siphon the water through their baleens, a behavior known as bubble-feeding. We lingered in the area to see if the whales would give us a show, but it was not to be.
As we approached Prince Rupert, a bald eagle came into view trailing the ship. Then another, followed by two more. The captain slowed the boat, and soon there were over twenty beautiful raptors circling the ship. As bald eagles are my favorite subject for bird photography, I was thrilled – I shot several hundred photos in 15 minutes. The eagles eventually disbursed, we continued to Prince Rupert, and good-byes and well-wishes were shared among guests from all over the world.
You can view all the photos from my day with Prince Rupert Adventure Tours here:
Still in awe over the eagles, I headed to Dolly’s Fish Market for fish and chips. Several of my fellow tour companions were also there for dinner, and we passed the time revisiting our journey to the Khutzeymateen. It was a nice ending to a great day.
The next morning, I finished packing, stowed my bags, and spent a few hours walking around Prince Rupert. There are many photo-worthy murals around town depicting marine and wildlife in the area.
You can view my photos from Prince Rupert here:
Finally, it was time to walk to the bus station for the ferry. Less than 48 hours after arriving, my adventure was over, and I was on my way back to New Mexico. Having never visited Prince Rupert before, my expectations were uncertain. With it now in my memories, I can’t wait to return next month, this time with JET and the pups.
Stay tuned!!
On The Road with Tall Guy & JET 