Port McNeill to Great Bear Lodge

Basically today we are just kicking our heels and killing time until our 15:00 flight to Great Bear Lodge, so a bit of a waste of a day.  After breakfast at a little diner down the hill, lovely but incredibly slow service, we had some free time to walk around Port MacNeil.  

Black Turnstone

Around the harbour was this beautiful bald eagle which, based on usual sightings, we fully expected to fly away before I could get a decent shot.

But this bird must have been glued to the post as despite us both standing directly underneath it and talking loudly it didn't budge.

Eventually with Ian flapping his arms wildly it did head off for a fly around the bay.

Late morning we drove 30 mins to Port Hardy and had a walk along a section of the Quatse River Estuary which to be honest was dire and we were bored silly.  All we saw was this Sooty Fox Sparrow.

And European Starlings which to be fair were quite exciting as we never get to see them at home.

Lichens and mosses.

We visited yet another supermarket to pick up lunch, and then ate it at a freezing viewpoint overlooking the river.  The high tide had forced these Sandpipers to roost close to shore.

 

Port Hardy is home to a lot of First Nation People and as there was a Visitor Centre just near where we were having lunch we decided to go in instead of trying to spot LBJs (little brown jobs) on the shoreline (particularly as the Wickaninnish centre had been closed).  Unfortunately there was nothing whatsoever about the indigenous tribes - I think they must be "the invisibles" like the Aborigines in Australia.  These totems were outside.

It was then a short drive to the seaplane base (actually back the way we'd already driven), where we sorted out our luggage for our trip to the Great Bear Lodge.  They have a very slick operation running there to store any excess luggage and clearly mark what's to be loaded.  A couple of the super posters on the wall.

Bet I'm not lucky enough for anything like those two.

There was another group also flying out today so two vintage Grumman Goose floatplanes were lined up on the tarmac.  They each hold 8 plus 2 in the cockpit; our Canadian guide doesn't join us on this bit of the trip and the other 3 have gone in another plane.

Unfortunately by stopping to take this photo, we were the last two to board and at the emergency exit row so Ian didn't have a window - actually he did but he kindly swopped with me so I could hopefully take some photos.

345 of these amphibious planes were built between 1937-1945 and they're not exactly luxurious.

The flight though was absolutely incredible, I've marked the direct route on the map but I have no idea which way we actually went.  

Straight after takeoff we flew out across the water.

Then a mixture of heavily wooded hills and lakes.

And then we got to the mountains, which we think are part of the Coastal Range and we were so lucky it was clear and the views were amazing. 

 

OMG it's like a glacier!