Day 5-6: Bella Coola to Prince Rupert (Aprox 88.4 road km, 503 nautical kms)
Total Trip Length: 10 days
Total Trip (Approximate) Distance: 3,131 road km & 503 nautical km = 3,634 km
Day 5 started early so we could pack up camp, catch a ferry and start making our way up North to Prince Rupert. We were both super excited to be on the move again. When we arrived at the terminal we were immediately approached by man who told us that the ferry had been delayed …6 hours! This delay would be putting us at our next stop in Bella Bella at 3:30am. There are so many factors you can’t predict when you live a life on the road; we do well in adapting to changes in our plans, for the most part, but it is not letting it affect our moods that we can struggle with sometimes. As a result of this experience, in the future, we will turn on our phone – before packing up camp! – and check for voicemail’s before making our way to catch flight, ferrys, etc. With our extra 6 hours we had left in Bella Coola, we decided to go check out Clayton Falls, go for a drive and then eat our lunch on the beach.
Once everyone was settled on the ferry, Bren and I got chatting to some of the other passengers. The first were two families that were traveling together – one from Prince George and the other from Vancouver. They were heading out on a 14 day kayak/canoe trip through the islands. I was so interested in listening to their stories and adventures ..especially since they had their kids with them who were between the ages of 3-14. They told us that before they had kids they did 25 day trips and that was how they had met each other. They had to stop the trips for awhile but once the kids were over the age of 3, they got back out there. Incredible! We talked quite awhile with them about the planning process – how they bring enough water and food, the dangers, and the exhaustion they experience on their trips. We were amazed and inspired by these families. Later, Bren and I penciled in “taking a kayak trip through the northern BC islands” to our list of goals.
We also met a man who was on a trip with his wife (who sat in the truck) and had the “biggest trailer anyone has ever seen.” A middle aged couple who was on the way to their cottage in Shearwater and an Edmonton man on a solo trip to Shearwater to do a kayak tour.
Within 1 hour of being on the ferry we came across of pod of dolphins and the hectic morning was quickly forgotten. One of the benefits of the smaller ferries is that they are usually able to stop and do a few circles for photo opportunities. Shortly after seeing the dolphins, we came across a lone humpback whale. 
The first stop was in Ocean Falls; there is only about 20 year round residents here but in the summer it can go up to about 100. We met one of the locals and tried to make conversation but being a recluse, he was extremely reticent and kept the talk short and light.
Once back on the ferry, we slept until the next stop in Shearwater, where the remaining passengers got off. We were the only ones to go on to Bella Bella that night. We got to Bella Bella at 3:30am, quickly popped up our tent in the Ferry parking lot and fell asleep. (50 road km & 200 nautical km)
Day 6 Bren was the first to wake up, sometime between 5 and 6am. Sleeping in a tent that we put up in the middle of the night, in an empty parking lot, in an unknown town made it difficult for him to have a good nights sleep. I briefly woke to him coming into the tent to grab the camera but I quickly drifted back to sleep, I am not sure how much more time passed before he woke me up again to tell me that he had been watching and photographing bald eagles while they were hunting for breakfast, right outside our tent, and that I had to come see it. I reluctantly and sleepily crawled out of the tent to join him.
It was Canada Day so not much was open and we spent most of our time driving around the small community. Afterwards, we went back down to the docks to explore the beaches. We found quite a few little sea creatures.
Bella Bella is home to Heiltsuk First Nations and we got to experience some of their heritage while waiting for our ferry. A group from the community put on a traditional aboriginal performance for everyone.
When we got on the ferry, we went straight up to our room and had showers. This ferry was much bigger than the previous one but we would be on it for a longer period of time. After a hectic few days – the room, the shower and the privacy were very much appreciated. There wasn’t much to do for the day except get day drunk before our buffet dinner that evening. We weren’t sure what to expect for a buffet dinner on a ferry but it was one of the best we have ever had….or maybe it was the fact that we had been eating one pot meals for five days. We had more choice in this one meal then we had our whole trip. Some of our favourite items were: cold smoked salmon, butter chicken, roasted lamb, beef tenderloin. During dinner our ferry came across a pod of dolphins and shortly after, a pod of whales! After eating until we could not eat anymore, we went to go lounge out on the deck and watch the scenery. Eventually we made our way back to our cabin to sleep off our full bellies.
We arrived to Prince Rupert at 11:30pm and got a room at the Pacific Inn. In the morning we would be starting our 4 day/3 night trek back home. (39 road km & 303 nautical km)