Steady rain accompanied us for most of the ferry trip out from Seattle to Victoria in British Columbia. But by the time we got there the sun was breaking through. Just as well, as the streets were packed with people dressed in red and white with Canadian flags flutterring in the breeze everywhere you looked, jazz bands were playing on the waterfront – July 1 is Canada Day – a Public Holiday. My first bear sighting, just off the ferry:-). I hope this is the only bear I see. One block back from the waterfront and all was quite, Victoria is a very neat town with a strong English influence in its appearance.

We spent half a day in Victoria and caught the late afternoon ferry to Bellingham back in Washington State. We travelled on an almost glassy smooth sea surrounded by the forested peaks of the San Juan Islands. The ferry had only a few passengers so the skipper detoured toward a pod of resident killer whales coming to the surface. My first sighting of a killer whale although as we were told it is the transient seal eating whales which give these whales their killer reputation. Magic afternoon with late evening arrival into Bellingham – our departure point for the ferry trip north to Alaska, along the Inside Passage. Bellingham is a spread out timber milling and fishing port town. A great town if you like water sports and don’t mind being a little bit cold.