An otter rookery

June 2 Kell Bay

Wind and water blew up so we diverted from our Cape Decision route and ran to Sumner Strait to anchor in Kell Bay. Talk about a scenic postcard pretty site! The tough decision was whether to choose the sunny cove with a peekaboo view to outside water or the more shaded cove with a picturesque, snow-capped peak looming above it. We opted for sunshine and scenic dinghy runs to view the mountain.

Kelp beds rank high on the list of positive things this week. Kelp fringed the edges of the barely navigable channel twisting through Nagasay’s Launch Passage and helped guide our entry. Kelp beds decorated a string of reefs just outside Kell Bay where we paused to watch a humpback whale and her very tiny calf surface cruise the area and occasionally do a shallow dive and spout. Mom whale surfaced trailing kelp fronds from her broad back, glistening leathery scarves that dropped as she traveled.

But the best kelp beds were the ones at the far end of Kell, the kelp beds that housed a raft of sea otter and their new kits, an otter rookery. Otter everywhere! Moms floated on their backs, cuddling youngsters on their chests as they cruised in the sunshine. Some had their feet sticking up out of the water, others moved rapidly though effortlessly as they paddled with those strong, webbed appendages. We (and they) kept our distance, but just the memory of our visits brings a smile to my face. Finally, an otter photo.