Today we cruised on the Eagle Princess off the coast of BC, through the calm waters of the inlet. The scenery is amazing, The weather is cooperative with the sun drifting in and out of the clouds.  I still can’t see the glacier peaks that everyone keeps telling me about, I’m sure they must be there. As we readied the boat for take off one of the local fisherman came by to offer us some goose neck barnacles. This tasty delicacy is served at many of the restaurants in town. Collected from the rocks during low tide, it’s quite dangerous and takes someone with a lot of nerve to do this job.

As we cruised up the inlet we passed fish farms and a boat towing a temporary home from one farm to another. it’s so peaceful out here and the natural beauty of the mountains, trees and rocks is breathtaking. We spotted a family of hawks perched in a tree.

We stopped at Eagle Bay to visit Happy, a friend of the Skipper. He has his house boat moored in the bay along with remnants of boats that he will soon bring back to life with his talent and ingenuity. This calm by was the perfect spot to enjoy our picnic lunch. The home-made cake was a big hit. Thanks Keara. Skipper Paul seemed to be enjoying the company of the lovely ladies.

 A family of eagles soaring overhead were teaching a young one how to fly.  It was quite impressive watching them swoop and soar through the sky. The beauty of the forest, rocks and sea is calming to the soul.  We sat on the boats for a while taking in our surroundings and enjoying the warm sun and cool air on our face.

 We continued our cruise across the inlet and pulled into another bay to visit Chris. He lives here on his boat with his dog Tessa. The nomad lifestyle seems to be popular among the locals. Up until the early 1980’s this area was a busy logging community. Today only a few outbuildings remain including he central fuelling station. The dock area is quite impressive, built from steel and large sturdy logs.

We took a stroll along the old logging roads. There were bushes in bloom with beautiful flowers in shades of pink, purple and yellow. As we passed by a trickling mountain stream Tessa stopped for a drink.  The pathway is lined with moss making it feel as though you are walking on a carpet. The forest is laden with ferns and vines in various shades of green. It’s a truly magical place.  Chris points out a path in the bush leading from one beach to another that was created by a very large bear.  Fortunately we did not come across the bear during our walk.

We arrive back to the tranquil bay and our waiting boat.  Its such a fabulous day we’ve decided to go for a swim.  The weather is warmer than it has been and the sun is shining.  The water in the inlet is still quite cool in April so we had to wear cold water wet suits. I rented mine in Tofino from Long Beach Surf Shop. The prices are quite reasonable here. It’s quite a chore getting into the tight fitting suits, I couldn’t imagine doing it without help. We jumped into the water one by one then swam about to circulate the water inside of our suits. Your body temperature heats up a the thin layer of water inside your suit keeping you nice and warm.   It’s late afternoon, the wind has picked up and the air is quite a bit cooler now.  We say our goodbyes to Chris and Tessa as Skipper Paul starts the engines. During the cruise back to Tofino everyone chose to stay in the cabin to keep warm.  Someone put on music and we had a sing song along the way.  What a great day with wonderful a group of people.  Thank you to  Skipper Paul Sam for a delightful day on the Eagle Princess.