The promotional materials on Sonora Resort simply don’t do it justice. You have the image firmly fixed in your mind in anticipation but as the helicopter swoops into Sonora bay it’s hard not to succumb to a little jaw dropping.
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| Preparing to leave Avitat |
The daily helicopter flight leaves the South Terminal at YVR mid-afternoon and 45 minutes later, after passing territory you thought you felt thoroughly familiar with, the Resort, perched on the tip of Sonora Island comes into view.
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| Arrival at Sonora Resort |
We arrived well into British Columbia’s Fall season, a
little chancy perhaps. However this
year the weather gods had doled out the rain harvest differently. June had been cold, wet and miserable while
September had proven to be positively summer-like.
And so it was, in shirt sleeves we boarded the
helicopter, passing over the main terminal of Vancouver airport. The helicopter’s rotor blades whooped
powerfully and before long we were passing over one of the arms of the Fraser
River, which seemed to be gorging on the endless rows of freshly harvested
timber, neatly lined up with a sort of military precision. After a full frontal view of Wreck Beach (is it really true they do naked yoga on that beach or is it a rumour spread by my wicked husband?) we were over the ocean speeding our way up the Sunshine Coast. The day was so magnificent I kept wondering could Norway and its fiord lands be more impressive. The sunlight sparkled over the forests, the rocky outcrops and the endless ocean.
And then with a certain panache, our sky gods brought
the helicopter onto Sonora’s landing pad but before doing so ensured that all
on board had a first class view of what was below. The late afternoon sunlight intensified the
colours - a colony of harbour seals positively glowed golden as they wallowed
on the rocks across from the dock.
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| Steller sea lion downs a salmon whole |
Our room in Gillard Lodge was beyond comfortable with
a striking view over the waterfront and the mountains beyond. We were instantly struck by the natural tidal
phenomenon - racing tides that trade direction every six hours or so. High or low tide forces the seawater between
the narrow bays creating an unusual illusion.
It’s as though one is sitting on a river bank watching the rapid flow of
water, or perhaps on a cruise ship passing through a fiord or two. But then, maybe that’s the wine talking as we
lingered over dinner. Our naturalist called
the ebb and flow “the respiration of the ecosystem".
And speaking of the delights of the restaurant, well
where to begin. The food and service is
sensational - that first night - heirloom tomatoes with a basil sauce, squid
infused pasta and rack of lamb, all accompanied by the Mission Hill house wine.
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| The stars of the dining room |
The restaurant is casually laid out with an
interesting fish tank dividing a grouping of tables for two from larger tables. We were fascinated by the star fish in the
tank. You’d be amazed how fast they
move. A few bites of lamb and Mr.
Starfish on the left was now over on the right making moves on what we had to
assume was Mrs. Starfish. Such
unexpected cabaret. The truth is the contents of the aquarium are caught from
the dock and repatriated every few weeks.
Herbert the crab and his starfish friends having had their Sonora experience
watching the diners will be back in the wild before they know it.
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| Pacific white sided dolphin |
The next morning we set off via zodiac to Blind Channel
for an eco walk through an ancient cedar forest. The weather was overcast with low hanging
cloud making the colour palette complex and earthy. A lone eagle perched majestically
on a rotting tree root, seals thrashed in the surf created by the fast moving
tide. Sea lions rested on the shoreline
while dolphins toyed with us, playing in the wake of the zodiac as it cut a
path through the water.
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| Moody and misty off Blind Channel |
All around us the tree line covered the rocky
landscape, high tide line clearly visible against the rocks. The ice age had carved the ancient granite
rock face with the forests taking root in the shallow vegetation that
eventually resulted. Wispy clouds hung
low creating shadows that reflected ethereally in the water. Despite the occasional fish farm and logging
activity there was a feeling of utter peace and calm, even though the rain was
now falling steadily. Perhaps it was
Fall after all.
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| Western red cedar |
Turning into Blind Channel we had reached our
destination, a soaked sorry mess of humanity piled out of the zodiac on to the
dock. No matter, we rallied and spent
the next hour walking through the rain forest, the winding trail etched with
exposed tree roots but soft underfoot from pine needles and other organic
debris. The giant western red cedars
along the way were awe inspiring in the extreme, their girth enormous, their
ageless forms a silent testament to what this place must have been like before
humanity discovered it.
Back on the zodiac we realized we had never previously
truly known the feeling of what it was like to be soaked right through. Half an hour later we were back on Sonora’s
dock, their thoughtful staff armed with hot chocolate and Bailey’s to ward off
the chills. A short while later we were back in the dining room
savouring the morning’s experiences and the incredible flavours of lunch while
watching the tidal flow change direction yet again. The bottomless wine glass appeared from
nowhere, how does that keep happening I asked myself.
Our damp clothes, now dry had been taken care of by
the housekeeping staff and returned to our room. A few hours relaxing in the lounge outside
our room with its luxurious sofas, enormous fireplace and picturesque views of
the waterfront and then what? The Spa of
course.
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| Spectacular sunrise |
The chef’s tasting menu with wine pairings that
evening proved to be one of those supremo “bon appetit” events not to be
missed. Imaginative food presentation,
glorious wines and champagne served with an experienced flourish.
The next day was sunny and provided another
opportunity to go out on the water. The
sun was welcome as we left the dock, Steller sea lions were fishing for salmon
and doing a very good job of it. As they
thrashed the salmon on the water, birds descended in flocks looking for a piece
of the action. The sea lions were deft
at positioning the salmon head down in their gaping mouths, swallowing what was
left in one swift motion.
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| Frenzied Pacific white sided dolphin |
Traversing the rapids as the coastal tides converged
we came across an unusual sight - the water was positively boiling with
activity as a large number of Pacific white-sided dolphin rapidly porpoised
through the water. They appeared
frenzied as though spooked by a predator.
We wondered whether it was their fear of the transient killer whales that
had been sighted several miles up wind.
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| Transient Orca dives |
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| Orca circle the bay |
We motored on to see if we could find them, eventually spotting them spouting in the distance. And what a show they put on. They seemed to be bemused by the changing tide, swimming in circles around Chatham Point lighthouse before continuing on through Johnstone Strait. Seals bobbed their heads above water, hopefully aware they were in imminent danger. Most of the whales were young although one enormous whale breached, splashing the water with spectacular force.
As if things couldn’t have been more impressive, the
next morning we set off up Bute Inlet to hopefully view grizzly bear feasting
on spawning salmon in the Orford River. Despite the deep rose sunrise the skies had become overcast. The aquamarine glacial water of the Orford
River bubbling furiously as it passed over its rocky bed. Juvenile eagles soared in pairs, swooping low
over the river, but no sign of a grizzly bear.
One had been spotted but it soon disappeared into the undergrowth. We continued on, observing a grizzly bear’s
day bed, a large indentation on the forest floor suitable for an afternoon nap,
but still no sighting.
We arrived at another viewing area where a meandering
stream fed the Orford River, This was
the place! We were dazzled by two male
grizzly bear hunting in the water for salmon.
The dying salmon that had returned to spawn were quietly going about
their business of depositing their eggs in the river gravel.
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| In search of salmon |
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| Yikes, I think he smells us! |
Another bear waded into the river and lay on his side
while he floated downstream in the current.
On the far bank a female and her two cubs walked the river bank,
balancing on fallen logs. Mother bear
produced a half eaten salmon, tossing her head as if to tease her cubs. A large male strode confidently towards us, swaying
his head as he sniffed in the air.
Suddenly he stopped, knee deep in water and fixed his gaze on the
flowing water. Leaping into the water he
emerged with a large salmon in his mouth.
Another National Geographic moment.
Back at Sonora one final lunch: for me it had been the same lunch for the
past three days, so delicious I could not pass it up. Tagiolini Scoglio - linguine type pasta with
spot prawns, scallops, mussels, clams and garlic. And of course, the obligatory glass of pinot
grigio. I hear the Sonora Burger was
pretty amazing too, but I could not tear myself away from my seafood fix.
As the helicopter lifted from Sonora for the return
flight to Vancouver we felt blessed. It
had been an indescribable three days with luxury and nature at one.
