Blackfish Sound is one of those places I dreamed of long before I ever saw it. Like the savannahs of Africa, the Yellow Mountains of China, or Haida Gwaii (still haven’t made it there), it existed in my imagination as a kind of misty promise – a place with edges blurred by longing.
We passed through Blackfish Sound several times aboard Vestri during our trip. The first time, we saw Dall’s porpoises slicing through the current and almost got sucked into Stubbs Island. We came back every time we made a run to Port McNeill to resupply. Sometimes we went just for the joy of fishing, returning afterward to anchor back in the Broughtons.
Each visit felt touched by magic.
Unlike the labyrinth of tiny islets in the Broughton Archipelago, Blackfish Sound is wide open – a bold expanse of water edged by distant mountains and thick with marine life. Why did I always want to go there? I don’t really know. Maybe I heard stories as a child – about the fish, the whales, the villages that once thrived on these shores. Maybe I just heard the name – Blackfish – and it lodged itself in my bones.
When I was a kid, the word already lived in my heart. I didn’t know what it meant – the word just shimmered with mystery. Only later did I learn it was the old name for orca used by mariners and coastal people long before names like killer whale or the Latin name Orcinus orca took over.
A name rooted in presence – because these whales have always been here.
Some names don’t belong to us. This one belongs to the whales.
When I sat down to write about this place, I didn’t know where to begin. How do you describe a feeling? The water here can be so calm it mirrors the sky, or so thick with fog it feels like you’re drifting through a dream. Layers of mountain ranges hover like ghosts on the horizon. And the wildlife, the sheer abundance, makes it feel like the beating heart of the British Columbia coast.
It’s a place that doesn’t ask for description. It asks for reverence.
On the final day of the wild coho fishery, Ray and I each landed a wild coho – unmistakable from their hatchery cousins. In my opinion, it’s the best-tasting salmon there is. We grilled them simply that night and savoured every bite.
Misty mornings. Cold hands. A salmon on the line. Heaven.
One fog-draped morning, just as we reached the end of Malcolm Island, a pod of orca cruised past us, playful and utterly unconcerned with our presence.
While it’s always a thrill to get close (within regulations, of course), I’ve found myself more and more drawn to photographing whales at a distance just to show the scale of the place. To hold onto the feeling that we’re small here, and lucky.
One afternoon, we stopped the boat to fish and found ourselves in the company of no fewer than 20 humpback whales. Ray was filming while I was reeling in a fish, waiting for him to bring the net, and then, right beside the boat, two humpbacks surfaced. The blows were thunderous, startling, and Ray caught the whole thing on video!
One moment you’re fishing. The next, the ocean breathes beside you.
There was one moment I’ll never forget: a humpback surfacing on one side of the boat, heading one direction, and an orca surfacing on the other side at the same time, heading the opposite way. It was surreal. Like being inside a wildlife documentary only louder, saltier, and a lot more thrilling.
At one point, a group of humpbacks began breaching again and again in the distance – an unbelievable display of power and grace that held us in silence.
And it wasn’t just the whales, the bird life was equally rich. Grebes, murres, auklets, eagles, phalaropes, surf scoters – the skies and sea were alive with wings and motion.
Blackfish Sound more than lived up to the myth I’d built around it. It is magical, but not in a fairy-tale way. Its magic comes from its rawness, its wildness, its refusal to be tamed. It’s a place that holds the essence of coastal life in British Columbia: salt-soaked, mist-laced, wild-hearted.
Even now, after all I’ve seen there, the words “Blackfish Sound” still catch something deep inside me. Reverence. Wonder. Hope. The dream that called me there hasn’t faded. It’s just grown roots.
Some dreams don’t vanish when they come true. They anchor you.
Next Stop: Dusky Cove
Anne, these images are magical! What an amazing adventure you went on. Every photo is more mesmerizing than the one before it. I love the close up shots, but the photos showing more of the scenery and scale are my absolute favorite shots. Thank you so much for sharing your adventures with us!
Debra
Thanks for the wonderful feedback Debra, I’m happy to hear that the distant shots of the whales are resonating with you! I can’t wait to get this year’s adventure underway, just one week to go! Your comments are much appreciated.
Anne I’ve just been immersed in all your lovely photos and felt I was right there. What a truly magical place.
Probably too cold for this Queenslander! Actually, it’s our first week of Winter and we may have our first frost tonight so it’s not too balmy at the moment either!
Enjoy your travels and photography and keep safe.
Hi Cecilia, It is definitely a bit cooler up in the Broughton than it is on lower Vancouver Island during the summer. The highs were around 15-20 degrees Celcius, which was pretty perfect actually. And there are much fewer people up there, we often had anchorages to ourselves. We loved it! So glad you are enjoying the posts. I’m trying to get last summer’s posts done before we launch this year. There is so much wildlife up there I came back with tons of photos. Thanks for your comments, they are always appreciated.
Hello Anne. Keep sending photos like this, and you may have a couple of boating companions. Each time you write, it makes me wish more that we were there. It is June here in southern Australia, and we are headed for a cold winter. Lovely photos, and thank you so much for taking us with you on your journies. Ron and Lynne Bairnsdale, Australia.
haha, I seem to be encouraging quite a few people into boating. I absolutely love being out on the water. And here, with all the little islands, there is so much to explore. I’m so glad my writing resonates with you and I really appreciate your wonderful feedback! Thanks Ron and Lynne, always great to hear from you.
Creation is indeed magnificient – thanks for sharing your journeys with us. Love, Ewien
This world we live in is truly astounding, especially all her wonderful creatures. I love being out in nature, just observing and appreciating our world. Thanks for your comments Ewien.
Hello Anne and Ray – It’s me again! As I mentioned in a previous post, I am planning on teaching an “Introduction to Digital Photography” for one of our Granddaughters and will be using several of your photographs and blogs as core material. In the latest article covering Blackfish Sound you have posted a photo of (I believe) a Phalarope sitting on the water (Second picture down in right hand column). The water appears to be ‘silky’ as from a multiple second exposure, yet the bird is not blurred. Would please explain this shot. I can’t agree more with the comments from others about the presentation of God’s creative beauty obvious in your photos and video; however, I find that you commentary accompanying this trip is truly expressive, inspiring and heartfelt. Thanks again to both you and Ray for taking me another place I otherwise would never visit!!!!!
Hi David! Great to hear from you again and I’m so glad you are able to use some of my posts to teach your granddaughter photography. Fantastic! That is indeed a Phalarope – a Red-necked Phalarope. Well, the explanation of the shot is quite simple – it’s 1/2000th second shutter speed! That silky water is just the way the water was – not a long exposure, although I understand why you would think that. I was so excited about the photos I was getting that day because the water definitely had a silky quality to it. It was so calm, but not glassy flat calm, just these soft gentle ripples that were so pretty. I can’t explain it. That particular day the water had an exceptional texture to it. That photo you mentioned, along with the one across from it with the phalarope taking off and appearing to run on the water, were among my favourites of the whole trip. I’m absolutely delighted that you noticed it. And thank you also for mentioning my writing. I have been putting more effort into descriptive writing lately – ramping up to get going on my novel, which takes places entirely in the ocean. Thank you so much for your wonderful feedback on my photos and post, I appreciate it!
Loooove those whale photographs!!!! and all Photographs Wonderful!!!!!
Thank you so much Jon, I just couldn’t get over the number of whales we saw in Blackfish Sound, it was thick with wildlife. So glad you enjoyed the photos.
Beautiful photos Anne, thanks so much for taking us with you! Can’t wait to see where your boat adventures take you this summer. My best friend lives in CR and I look forward to my Vacation there every year. The BC coast truly is a mystical place ❤️
Jackie K
It really is a mystical place – the whole BC coast is. I’m so lucky to be from the island. I love CR too. If we don’t go south this coming winter, we may end up spending the winter there. We’ve spent many summers there, but only one winter (covid winter). Even in the winter there is so much wildlife to see there! Thanks for your comments Jackie!
Your words with the images take the reader right there with you. Thank you for sharing.
Hi Marlene, thank you so much for your fantastic feedback on my photos and writing, I appreciate it very much!
Exceptional photos!!! Darn, for a minute I thought you caught a Whale
Great shots of wildlife. At least Ray caught dinner
Enjoy your adventures
haha, for a minute I thought I caught a whale too! It was a bit freaky how close they came to the boat, and of course with the boat off and just floating around, the blows were very loud. We let the kelp greenling go, but we were pretty lucky with salmon in Blackfish Sound. We’re not very experienced fishermen, so it helps to be somewhere with so many fish! We didn’t use downriggers, we just jigged for salmon and it worked quite well! Thanks for your comments John, much appreciated.
I’m sitting here at my desk, at work, in the city.Your post (words and images), has taken me to a far better place. Thanks. I needed that.
Carolyn
Hi Carolyn, I remember those days at a desk in the city. Cities do have their benefits too though. I used to enjoy going to the theatre, the ballet, the symphony, and art galleries. But nature is where I belong. I hope you at least get a chance to get out in nature on your weekends. In the meantime, I’m really glad you enjoy my posts, it means a lot. Thank you.
A friend from my camera club introduced me to your blogs, and I’m so happy he did! This summer I’m travelling to Newfoundland, and based on this article, I’ve decided to visit Haida Gwaii next year.
Oh, that’s wonderful, I love to hear that people recommend my blog to their friends, that means a lot! We went to Newfoundland in our first year RVing when we went around north america, and it was fabulous! We didn’t try to go everywhere (it’s really big!) but we spent all of our time in Gros Morne National Park. It was one of the most beautiful places I have been – ever! There are some posts on it here on the blog if you search for Newfoundland. As for Haida Gwaii, I really hope to get there soon myself. I have been to some mainland places across from it that were incredible, but I still really want to see Haida Gwaii. There is so much coastal history there. Emily Carr did quite a few paintings from Haida Gwaii (they were called Queen Charlotte Islands then). Check out the paintings of the weathered totem poles – it is customary to let the totem poles erode and return to nature – and she made some beautiful paintings of that. So glad you found my blog, welcome, and thanks for your comments Susan!
Incredible place, wonderful images.
Thank you so much for the lovely feedback Tom, I appreciate it!
Pure Heaven!!!!!!!!!!!!
It really was! I can’t wait to see it again this summer. Thanks for your comments John.
What an awesome experience for you and Ray. Your writing and the narration of what you experience in the Blackfish Sound makes me want to travel there. Thanks for sharing. Jaime and Bea Zuloaga
Hi Jaime and Bea, it truly was an incredible experience, and I highly recommend it as a travel destination. Even if you don’t have a boat, you can get out on whale watching trips and experience this magical place. I’m so glad you enjoyed the writing, it means a lot to me. Thank you for your comments.
Thank you for your post! I’m in Florida, and we stopped going out in the boat years ago.
Your post was incredible. I know now why you keep going back!
Jenny Williams
Hi Janice, oh I loved Florida. And the bugs loved me lol. But it was so amazing, we rented a canoe and I remember seeing manatees and trees full of pelicans in the mangroves. Crocodiles (fortunately not while we were canoeing, that might have been a bit unnerving). I was surprised how shallow it was everywhere. Anytime I can get out on the water, I do, and I always love it. Glad you enjoyed the stories from our cold water adventures!
Great photos. You have some incredible trips on your boat. Can we go with you next year?
Larry & Cathy
haha, there seems to be a line-up of people wanting to come along! We certainly have had some incredible trips on Vestri, and we’ve only had 1.5 seasons so far. Can’t wait to get back out there in about a week and maybe explore even farther north this year. Glad you enjoyed the photos, thanks Larry!