Submitted by: Cindy Dalcourt
SEPTEMBER 23, 2025
5:00 pm to 7:45 pm
On a beautiful fall evening 11 members met Captain Matt at the Rugged Coast Expeditions truck in the South Harbour parking lot. After some brief instructions we all donned bulky red survival suits and headed out onto the wharf. Our expedition’s boat was a one of a kind ex-military rigid inflatable boat (zodiac) which turned out to be very fast and comfortable.
We first motored over to the “Hulks” and entered the former mill pond. Here we learned the history of the boats and how they came to Powell River. For a few minutes we watched a noisy group of California Sea Lions who were resting on a long boom. Revving up the motor we headed around the north end of Ahgykson Island and were on the lookout for whales. Matt mentioned that there had been many transient Orca sightings in the past few days so there had not been as many Humpbacks, as they tend to leave the area when the Orcas come in. He reassured us that we should see at least one as there were only two trips this whole season where guests did not see any whales.
We circled Vivian Rocks and observed a group of local Stellar Sea Lions who growl but do not bark like the California Sea Lions. We also saw Harbour Seals and many birds. A whale spout was noticed in the distance and we raced off to that area. We safely observed a female Humpback named Constellation for about 30 minutes as she travelled along.
Matt is a wealth of knowledge about the local history, birds, animals and sea life in and around the waters of the Salish Sea. As we enjoyed a beautiful sunset Matt pulled into a quiet bay on the west side of Ahgykson Island to share more information and stories. It was a magical experience just floating in the fading light and peaceful waters. We headed back to the harbour in almost darkness and our adventure came to an end with all agreeing it had been an amazing trip.
