BLUNDEN TO DUNCANBY AUG. 6TH

In the morning we departed Blunden Harbor and continued north around Cape Caution. This part of the passage took about eight hours to Rivers Inlet. For the most part, it is open to the ocean. With the 18 knot wind on our nose and the swell on our beam it was bumpy at times. As soon as we entered the continuence of the inside passage the rolling disappeard and we entered Goose Bay where we tied up at Duncanby Landing. We sat on the deck of the restaurant in the warm sun and enjoyed an early dinner. In the morning Lou was standing on the dock when he saw a lone Humpback Whale surface right next to our boat. Daniel and I were about to go exploring the old cannery that is at the head of the bay. As we approached the decaying docks the whale surfaced about twenty feet from the dinghy. "Wings" is twelve feet long, the huge black hump that rose out of the water was at least as long. We could hear the strange groans of its breathing. I was overwhelmed with excitement and "fear" as Daniel calmed me that we were not going end up like "Jonah". The huge creature then rolled over as if to wave with its huge flipper encrusted with barnacles and knobs (which are hair folicles) see: http://www.acsonline.org/factpack/humpback.htm. It then swam away taking a huge breath making a loud deep trumpeting sound and dove down exposing the underside of its fluke as the water cascaded over the edge! Wow!