The journey from Hartley Bay to Bishop Bay is only 30 miles. It started by being sunny and warm.
And then we saw in the distance tell-tale signs that whales were in the vicinity.
Their "blows" are usually spotted first. We zigged off-course to get a closer view, put the engine in idle and enjoyed the spectacle of 6-8 Orca whales for half an hour before motoring on.
Then Verney Passage's WOW factor took over for an hour. How often can you travel in 1,000+ foot deep water lined with 3,000-foot tall granite cliffs and tree-lined forests before becoming jaded? We don't know.
And then more whales! We're not well informed on whale I.D., so unsure if these were humpbacks or minkes, but there were a couple dozen spread out over several miles.
And then arrival at Bishop Bay Hot Springs, an attractive cove with natural hot springs and a rustic "bath house" maintained by the British Columbia Parks. We were here in 2009 on Greg and Terry's boat, and eager to visit again. We were fortunate to catch one of only 3 mooring balls, as the old dock's ramp to shore was destroyed by age and storms.
So the kayaks hit the water and we paddled ashore.
Three young adults from 60 miles away were there ahead of us, traveling in their 27-foot sailboat and rowing to shore.
The Hot Springs are funky and charming, warm and not at all smelly.
We had a ball on our northbound journey, but are enjoying the slower pace of our southbound journey even more.
Salmon, salad and wine for dinner in the cockpit wrapped up a great day.
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