Ferry from Port Hardy to Prince Rupert

When I got to Port Hardy I checked into the Pioneer Inn, mostly because it advertised to be the closest hotel to the Port Hardy ferry terminal. I soon realized that though they may be the closest accommodation to the terminal, every other place was so close to the terminal it really does not matter where you stay. If I would have known this I would have stayed at the hostel in town and saved a few bucks.

It is also important to note that some people just leave their cars in Port Hardy, usually at the place that they stayed at or even at the long term parking lot at the ferry terminal. They avoid the expense of bringing their car on the ferry and just go for the trip, spend a few days in Prince Rupert and then come back. There is even a local company that will shuttle you to the ferry terminal for a nominal fee, just ask the reception where you are residing to arrange it for you, and early in the morning a big yellow school bus comes and picks you up and takes you to the ferry terminal.

Another note of reference, it is only in the summer months that there are regular daytime sailings up the inside passage to Prince Rupert. The rest of the year the ferry takes on more of its original role of efficient public transportation to the remote communities, and due to timing most of the sailings occur overnight.

After checking in I went off to explore a bit of Port hardy for the limited time I was there. If you are interested in anything touristy there is a tourism building on the main drag, but by the time I got there they were closed. Walking up the street there was some nice shops, I passed a fish and chip place that I was told was “to die for” and further up there was a Chinese food restaurant that was highly recommended. I really wasn't in the mood for socializing, “hi, yes I'm a tourist, from Victoria” kind of conversation. I instead went over to the Thunderbird mall and picked up a few things at Overwieghtea Foods and the rest of diner at Subway, I like to “eat fresh” now and again. I also noted to myself that there was a Chevron gas station across the street from the mall, opportunities for fuel need to be a little more planned out when you are in the north.

Start of the Inside Passage Leg

4:30 in the morning I awake to the sound of my alarm clock beeping in my ear. OMG this is early, in a half daze I got showered and my things together and headed out to my car. It seems a lot of other people were staying at this motel for the same reason, who would expect that 5:00 am would be the busiest time for this hotel. As I got seated in my car I see the big yellow school bus pull up, there were already people on it so it looks like they do a bit of a milk run.

The drive to the Port Hardy ferry terminal took about 5-10 minutes, it would have been the same from any of the other establishments as well, its a really small town. After about a 45 minute check in and wait in the ferry lane I was soon on board and heading up to the passenger deck. I was met there by a Stewart that was acting as host offering free coffee and answering any and all questions. I passed her by at first and went strait for the coffee. When I entered the passenger area I thought it seemed pretty small, but it was early in the morning and I tend to be dumber than a door knob when I don't get my regular beauty sleep.

It was not till the 4 buses of German tourists came to the little area I was in and approached the pursers office (which I was close to as well) and one after the other said to the purser “lounge”. Well if this wasn't a hint and a half I don't know what one is. I sought out the Stewart/host that I passed by earlier and asked her if the cost for the Aurora lounge was worth the extra $30.00 to go sit in there. She told me no it wasn't, and I quote “it is like a bit of a church in there.”, well I kind of think I know what she means, but she said I was more than welcome to go and explore the rest of the ship. This was the real answer I was looking for because all the signs I read said this way or that way to the cabins. I didn't know if I was allowed to go there without actually having a cabin. Oh boy! What a ship it was, I explored every inch I could, I even went into a restricted area, I realized I was in the wrong place when I started to see hard hats and ear protectors.

It was the crack of dawn when we finally left the Port Hardy ferry terminal. The ship moved surprisingly fast, I was more used to the ferries along the Tsawwassen to Swartz Bay run they don't go to fast because they have to weave in and out of the islands. I made my way down to the Vista dining room where they were serving a buffet breakfast, all you can eat for about $17.00. They had an array of continental dishes as well as all the favourites like sausage, omelets, corned beef hash, French toast and fresh carved ham by the chef himself. There was also a tray of different smoked and candied salmon and a variety of cheeses. It was quite the spread and I made the most of it being that I had now been up for a while and not yet had my breakfast.

After I was all fed up it was much more light out than it had been when we left the ferry terminal so I was spending most of my time out on the deck. It was actually fairly warm out on the deck, it did rain on and off but all I had to do was go to the rear, aft, stern, poop deck or whatever you call it and they had a great sheltered area with seating as well. The view from the back is probably the most picturesque and vast, I and others spent hours watching the distant scenery slowly fade away into the horizon. It was kind of mesmerizing really.

Whale Sighting

We were maybe less than an hour into our voyage when an announcer came on the PA (Public Address) system and told us whales were spotted off the starboard or right hand side of the ship. This was the first of over a dozen whale sightings, most were announced some not. It is important to know if you want to see these whales and take pictures of them is that the whales do not like the noise that the ferry makes, so they won't hang around for long. As soon as you hear the whale sighting being announced make sure you go to the part of the outside deck that is closest to the front of the ship. Its usually just a matter of time when the whale has had enough of the noisy ship and it “sounds” (diving deep underwater) this can be hinted to by when you see that beautiful whale tale come up high in the air, when you see this you can be rest assured you probably wont see the whale again, especially in these tight areas along the inside passage. If you are finding yourself near the back of the ship, your chance of whale watching is vastly diminished.

Onboard Informational Seminar

A few hours into our voyage there is an informational seminar conducted in the theatre at the back of the Raven Lounge. I highly recommend this discussion, there is a lot of interesting topics discussed about the voyage and some of the highlights of what to expect. Information on further destinations like Jasper, Banff and Haida Gwaii is provided as well. At the end of the seminar there is a Q&A where you are free to ask any questions not discussed in their earlier conversation. The host of this discussion is also available at the kiosk beside the Pursers office to answer any more detailed questions you wish to ask. If this is you first time taking the BC ferry from Port Hardy to Prince Rupert through the inside passage then you should really go to that information session, a lot of important information is discussed.

Whales are just one of the great animals you will see on your voyage. I also saw eagles, sea lions, otters, porpoises, jumping salmon and other various marine birds. It is very rare that you will get a glimpse of a bear, they say the best places to see them is when it is low tide and near the banks of rivers and estuaries. If you do see a bear they would like you to let the crew know, they keep track of these sort of things and if you manage to get a picture of it that would make you a very lucky person.

We pass many lighthouses on the trip and a crew member comes on the PA system and gives you the name of it and a few history tidbits as well. One significant lighthouse of note is the one at Boats Bluff, this one is located on kind of a cliff. Boats Bluff was named for when you come up the inside passage there is a bit of an optical illusion that makes it seem that there is no were else to go when you approach it in a ship, it seems like you are going to slam into an island. Another picturesque lighthouse is just past the village of Bella Bella, someone has taken good care of this property.

The Community of Bella Bella

Speaking of Bella Bella, this is the largest community we come across on our trip, sometimes the ferry stops there but not on this trip. On approach we have to through the narrowest point on our journey, a mere 800 feet separates two bodies of land that we have to pass through. It's a tight squeeze, especially if they are passing a cruise ship as well, but we manage to get through just fine. When we approached the community I noticed a lot of fish jumping, it seems they were moving toward an estuary where I saw a few fisherman catching some of the fish. The community is largely a fishing and logging community and is probably one of the best thriving communities on the west coast of British Columbia.

It is also important to note at this point that cell phone service and internet are not available on the Port Hardy to Prince Rupert ferry. However there is a half an hour window when you pass by Bella Bella were you can use your cell phone to make a quick phone call. This information and more are discussed during the information session that was mentioned earlier.

Further along we come to another point of interest, Canoona River on Princess Royal Island. This is the spot to maybe catch a glimpse of the legendary Kermode Bear (white spirit bear), have your camera ready just in case.

Butedale Ghosttown

One of the most beautiful and eerie points of interest along the inside passage is the community of Butedale. At distant approach you think to yourself, “what a beautiful village built beside a majestic waterfall.”. But as we get closer you notice a lot of the buildings are collapsed in on themselves and there are even small trees are growing out of the roofs. This once thriving community is now a ghost town. This was a fishing community and at its height boasted a summertime population of around 400 people. It was the 1950's when the villagers called it quits and abandoned their little town.

The most contrast and striking attraction is Grenville Channel. This is a long narrow channel we had to navigate. The contrast is the high mountains on either side of us and so close together, but as the mountains are high so is the water deep, this one of the deeper water channels that we go through. It was just after that we entered the channel that we sailed into a fog bank, this added a mysterious and foreboding feeling from this point on, this was accented by the ship needing to blow its horn every 2 minutes.

After night fell it was still going to be a few hours till we would make port at Prince Rupert. At this time a dinner buffet was being served in the Vista dining room, I decided one buffet a day was enough for me so I just grabbed something to eat in the Raven Lounge. Other people entertained themselves by reading, socializing or watching a movie provided in the on board theatre.

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