Visiting a Different World

The Queen Charlotte Islands ninety miles off the shore of British Columbia point as a bony finger into the Pacific Ocean. The area teems with plant, sea and animal life, which the Canadian Government is attempting to preserve.



Since it is mandatory before entering the park, to either have a licensed guide or attend an orientation session, which covers Haida history, I chose to hire a guide. He was to meet me when I stepped off the ferry that I had boarded at Port Rupert, British Columbia.

As we approached the islands, I noticed a battery of weathered and decaying totems that stared out to sea. These poles once declared the status of the powerful Haida Nation. Grizzly bears, killer whales, eagles and halibut, once magnificent specimens of the Haida’s talents were rotting and falling back into the earth from whence they came.

My guide used an open boat to zip our group from one island to the other. The experience was invigorating. Even with several layers of clothing and protective rain gear, the gale force wind that sprung up without warning left me feeling a bit chilly. Fog shrouded the islands giving them the appearance of a mythical land. I had the feeling of having traveled back in time and could almost feel the vibrations of ancient drums and hear the chanting of the Haida people.

These islands are home to the Pacific Northwest rainforest. Evergreens stretch 150 feet into the sky, giving one the feeling of being the size of an ant. The moss that covered their gnarled roots was so thick that I felt I was walking on a lush, green carpet.

Wildlife abounds in the air, on land and in the sea. Our group had the pleasure of watching an eagle soar and glide on the wind currents while his high-pitched screams echoed over the ocean. Suddenly, he dove, rose and in his talons he held a fish – dinner for him and his family. We also spotted some puffins and peregrine falcons, thanks to our guide who is native to the islands and pointed out creatures that we would have missed.

Though I did not see this creature, the guide spoke of a unique breed of black bear that inhabits the island. It is one of several biological oddities that have contributed to the islands being called the Canadian Galapagos. We had the opportunity to watch the movements of deer that were introduced to the island by man. Their numbers are never diminished, as they have no natural enemies.

The Haida’s main staple was Halibut, an ugly fish with an off-center face. Roasted over an open fire, it is a mouth-watering delicacy.

While on a kayaking expedition, our group was delighted to see a seal surface to check out the most recent visitors. Below is a virtual aquarium of sea creatures. Purple starfish sparkle against green seaweed. Anemones and sea cucumbers cling to rocks near the shore while jellyfish glide through the crystal water. A snow-white raven nests near the village of Port Clements. The Haida feel the albino bird is an omen that the Raven of mystic legend has returned to play tricks on the human inhabitants of the island.

I had the pleasure of visiting Ninstints, an abandoned windswept Haida village. This village has the most totem poles on the pacific coast that stand on their original site. It is an important legacy to the history and culture, of not only Canada, but mankind as well.

In Ninstints, the decaying totems of the Haida people seem to regain their dignity. I stared in awe at the beauty of these poles and wondered at the talent of the Haida men whose hands had created them. As I stood before these weathered giants, I had the distinct impression of being under the watchful eye of a protective spirit - a guardian of the totems.

Other Native ruins can be found in Gwaii Hanaas, another National Park. Translated, Gwaii Hanaas means “Islands of Wonder.” My experience there was indeed wondrous.

When I booked this trip, I was looking for a wilderness experience. What I came away with was the feeling of having visited a different world – a world of majestic grandeur.