Around Juan Perez Sound

As you are seeing in recent posts, I made several visits to the Juan Perez Sound area this past summer while cruising aboard the Passing Cloud in Gwaii Haanas. This roll of film includes shots from De La Beche Inlet (map link) at the western edge of Juan Perez Sound, another visit to Hotspring Island (map link) which is more central and near the eastern edge and then to Burnaby or Dolomite Narrows (map link) and Bag Harbour (map link) at and just beyond the south end of the Sound.

Burnaby Narrows (as it is locally known) is a shallow winding passage between Burnaby and Moresby Islands through which immense amounts of water flow when the tide is running. It very nearly dry out in places, and the abundance of sea life is incredible – it is impossible to take a step without crushing several animals. Tour operators are discouraged from disembarking in this area in order to protect the ecosystem. On the Passing Cloud a balance between preventing visitor impacts and enhancing the visitor experience was met by the First Mate Liam snorkeling in the narrows from our inflatable tender, and bringing more durable specimens to the boat where they were put in bin with water and brought up close for the passengers to study. Once they had been looked at, they were returned to where they had been collected.

Hotspring Island has a hotspring that was developed for visitors including with enhancements to natural pools, a bath and shower house (bliss!! for crews stationed in Gwaii Haanas for weeks). Unfortunately a strong earthquake centered near here in 2012 turned off the hot water flow. It has been slowly returning the last couple of years, but not in the same place so the existing infrastructure is not usable at this time. There are still Haida Watchmen resident here in the summer, and they usually include a Haida artist who can demonstrate different aspects of Haida art to visitors. It’s a beautiful location well worth a visit even without hot water.

De La Beche Inlet is about as calm of an anchorage as one is likely to find in this area, and not so heavily used as some of the others so the times we stayed here we had the place to ourselves. The mirror like water made for some great reflections. The shot above is one of my favourites – I took a digital version of it that is much wider angle and even more dramatic – you can see it here.

Other analogue photos from this trip on 52Rolls can be seen with this link.

You can also find more digital Gwaii Haanas images from last summer on my blog (here).

If you are getting tired of Gwaii Haanas, then you will be glad to know there are only two more rolls to come from this extended stay in the area.

 

To see an enlarged version of any image in the gallery below, click on it and then navigate to others with the arrows or with swiping.

De La Beche sunrise

De La Beche kayaking at sunrise

De La Beche moonrise

De La Beche sunset

De La Beche sunset

De La Beche moonrise

De La Beche moonrise

Burnaby Narrows looking north

Animals on board for teaching – urchin, bat stars, moon snail

Tidal islet in Burnaby Narrows with turban snails and crab remains

Turban snails

Sea urchin and bat stars

Tidal Islet Burnaby Narrows

North end Burnaby Narrows

Moon reflection bounded by moon jellies in water

Moon with moon jelly in foreground

Bag Harbour

Hecate Strait

Moresby Island, between Hotspring and Ramsay Islands

Hotsprings Island

boardwalk, Hotspring Island, non-skid netting

Hotspring Island

2016-38:Olympus mjuii, Agfa Vista 200, commercially processed and scanned.

.

.

.

.

.