Contrary to popular belief, summertime is not always the best time to take visit Haida Gwaii on a British Columbia expedition cruise.
Here, biologist Trudy Chatwin talks about spring in Haida Gwaii.
May Tours in Haida Gwaii – interview with Trudy Chatwin
Q: Why do you like being in Haida Gwaii in May, Trudy?
A: It’s absolutely bursting with life.
The whales are here and you might see humpback whales, orcas, or dolphins.
There are great concentrations of seabirds. During the sooty shearwater migrations there can be groups of up to 10,000 shearwaters in Hecate Strait. There are concentrations of ancient murrelets on the water as their chicks hatch.
The tide pools are really coming to life; the animals are spawning and everything is bursting because you’re getting so much light then.
Q: Anything else?
A: It’s a quieter time at the Haida village sites then. You can take your time. Sometimes we are the first visitors of the season, and you can be the first person that walks on the beaches this year.
The weather’s better in May. But the weather can change rapidly and you can get all sorts of weather throughout the entire season.
Trudy Chatwin is an endangered species biologist for the province of BC. She was involved in the protection of land in Gwaii Haanas and had a cabin on the Tlell River, on Haida Gwaii, for 20 years. You can join Trudy and her infectious enthusiasm for nature on – where else? – a May trip in Haida Gwaii.
This image set is all from Haida Gwaii trips operated in May, some starting in the first week of May, others at the middle and end.
Interested in a trip? Learn about it here or Inquire here.
