A first time trip to amazing Malcolm Island – Part 2

by Keith and Heather Nicol

     On Thursday, September 5 we awoke to dense fog (in fact we could hear fog horns off and on all night) so we opted to head into Sointula to check out the museum and explore some other parts of the island. By the time we got into town the weather had started to clear and we stopped by the wharf to fill up our drinking bottles (Bere Point has only non potable water available). We could see the fog lying on the water between Dickenson Point and Vancouver Island and at the lookout at Dickenson Point we spotted a minke whale cruising off shore. We drove along Kaleva Road with intermittent ocean views, picnic tables and benches to the end at Meynell Point.

At Dickenson Point whale watching

  We ate a picnic lunch at the sheltered tables at the Resource Centre located opposite the ferry terminal (be sure to head here to get info on the Island) while we waited for the museum to open at noon.  Sointula has a fascinating history, founded over a hundred years ago by Finns seeking a utopian community. In fact Sointula means “place of harmony”.  Although the settlement didn’t work out quite as its founders had envisioned, some of the original settlers did create a vibrant life for themselves fishing and logging and they founded the province’s oldest Cooperative which survives to this day. The museum has information and artifacts describing what the early life was like and is well worth a visit.

The Museum main art work depicks the Finns leaving poor working conditions for "Utopia"

 We had been told that the Mateoja Heritage Trail was worth a visit but given the now sunny but cool day we opted to just hike a portion of it since much of it is shaded by the trees.  With the fog now gone we wanted to get on the water again and this time paddled toward Black Bluff (with a GPS this time). We saw loons and other sea birds and again paddled off shore to avoid the kelp beds. On our return paddle we saw the blow and dive of another humpback well offshore.   After our paddle, with the sun late afternoon sun on the driftwood logs of Beautiful Bay we sat with many other campers with binoculars pealed for Ocras that might come to rub. Some campers had told us they had been coming twice a summer for the last 5 years in the hopes of seeing this rare activity. But the views of ocean and mountain beyond Queen Charlotte strait are impressive in their own right.

Heather offshore to avoid the kelp beds with snow capped mountains behind

 The next day dawned sunny and warm but we as we broke camp and headed into Sointula to catch the 11:00 am ferry.  Over all we had seen 4 whales from shore or while kayaking and we loved the ambiance of Malcolm Island. We definately will be back. For more information see: https://www.sointulainfo.ca/.

At the whale watching beach