Sunset Cruise on Bellingham Bay

Joe Meche is a member of the board of directors of the North Cascades Audubon Society and is in his eighth year as editor of the chapter newsletter. Joe is also a member of the board of directors of the Washington Brant Foundation. He has been photographing birds and landscapes for over 30 years and has been watching birds for more than 50 years.

Some have said that this spring has been one of the best in recent memory. We’ve had an abundance of sunshine and, even though we need it badly, very little rain. The temperatures have on occasion caused the shade seekers among us to wilt a bit, but we persevere. The saving grace on the too-warm days is the fact that we live on a remarkable body of water—Bellingham Bay. The maritime influence takes the edge off the heat and is a virtual magnet to multitudes of Hamsters at the end of the longer and often warmer days of spring and summer, and on into the fall.

On a recent beautiful evening in June, just a few days before the official start of summer, the calm waters of Bellingham Bay beckoned. We boarded the M. V. Island Caper for the first Bellingham Bay History Cruise of the summer season, hosted by the Whatcom Museum of History and Art. Before we left the dock, the museum’s Curator of Education, Richard Vanderway, had already related more about the history of Bellingham than most of the capacity crowd ever knew. Richard is extremely well versed in the history of the area and his passion is evident. As it turned out, he was just warming up at this point.

We left the dock at the Squalicum Marina, the Port of Bellingham’s haven for more than 1,500 fishing and pleasure boats, slipped through the breakwater and entered the open water of Bellingham Bay. We motored first to the west and then came about 180 degrees to take in close-up views of the entire Bellingham waterfront. Richard began to wax historical about natives, voyages of discovery by the ships of Captain George Vancouver and early settlements at the mouth of Whatcom Creek.

The skipper deftly maneuvered the 110-foot vessel into the Whatcom Waterway and almost to the mouth of Whatcom Creek. One of the first settlements in the area centered on the first sawmill that utilized the power of the falls that still flow just behind the downtown post office on Prospect Street. For a bit of perspective, we had close-up views and a bit of the history about the now mostly-defunct Georgia-Pacific pulp mill. The plant, which closed down four years ago, was eerily quiet, in stark contrast to the industrial sights, sounds and smells that ruled the waterfront and the downtown area for several decades. We finished our tour of the waterway, which is practically in the heart of the downtown core, and began to follow the shoreline to Fairhaven and the open water to the south.

Richard was at his finest on this first cruise of the season and it was apparent that he enjoys the museum cruises as much as anyone onboard. Not one to rely solely on the human history to carry the evening, he also took time to point out bits and pieces about the natural history of the area. As we were leaving the harbor, he pointed out the numerous nests of glaucous-winged gulls on the rooftops of the marina boathouses. Harbor seals were pulled out and resting on many of the log booms that we passed along the shoreline. One unexpected bird sighting on the trip was a black oystercatcher, resting on a log boom just north of Boulevard Park.

We passed just offshore from Boulevard Park, one of the jewels of the city’s park system, eliciting a lot of waving between passengers and park patrons. The park had its usual summer evening gathering assembled to enjoy the end of a spectacular day and await another sunset. We had great views of the construction in progress on the new extension of the boardwalk to the old Taylor Street dock. One thing that was apparent throughout the cruise is that Bellingham’s maritime heritage is intact. The current generation of Hamsters relishes their connection with the water.

We spent a good deal of time in the area around the Southside boat basin as Richard gave a broad overview of the history of Fairhaven and covered everything from Mark Twain’s visit to the aroma of roasting coffee beans coming from Tony’s Coffee House and the resurgence of this southernmost neighborhood of Bellingham. Numerous canneries used to line the water at Fairhaven, which is now home to the southern terminus of the Alaska Marine Highway System. Richard seemed to be especially excited when he described the dry dock facilities at Post Point. Just south of the ferry terminal is another jewel in the crown of the park system—Marine Park, at Post Point.

We could see several of the nests at the Post Point heronry, which is now home to approximately 17 pairs of nesting great blue herons. Some of the young herons were visible as they sat on the edges of their nests. A pair of bald eagles surveyed the scene from the treetops. The increasing number of herons using this area for nesting is an indicator of the overall health of Bellingham Bay. It makes you think that we just might be doing something right.

On our way south, the expansive homes of Edgemoor passed on the port side, as a spectacular sunset began to shape up on the starboard. We motored into the quiet of Chuckanut Bay and everyone was impressed with the large number of double-crested cormorants roosting and nesting on the Chuckanut Rocks on the north side of the bay. We were also treated to good views of harlequin ducks swimming around the base of the rocks. These rocks are a favorite destination for local kayakers, as well as birds.

The Caper made a wide turn around Chuckanut Island and we began our return trip northward, to Bellingham and the marina. As we passed close to the island, we had excellent views of the bald eagle nest that has seen many generations of eagles. This island is owned and maintained by the Nature Conservancy and one of Bellingham’s preeminent conservationists, George Garlick, was the steward there for many years.

After the turn around the island, the remainder of the cruise took on a mellow tone as we headed back toward the marina. Richard had related every anecdote of local history that we could possibly digest and we were left to enjoy the quiet and the setting sun. The temperature had cooled significantly, so many passengers dug deep into their carry-ons for sweaters and jackets. Conversation died down to murmurs and whispers, and then the Caspian terns began to show up.

The Caspian tern is the largest member of the tern family of birds and the number of summer residents in the Bellingham area seems to be increasing. The speculation in ornithological circles is that most of the birds we’re seeing here were displaced from breeding colonies to the south. Regardless of the reason, their raucous cries have become a big part of summer evenings. To some they are a source of excitement and possibly another testimony to the health of our local waters. To others, especially the folks who live on their boats in the marina, they are the bane of their shipboard existence.

Of all the highlights on the two-and-a-half hour cruise, one of the best came as we headed into the dock area, bow first, and the skipper executed a bit of nautical precision to turn the Island Caper around to back it into its slip at the marina. Imagine trying to turn something that’s 110-feet long in a space that’s about 120-feet wide and maybe you’ll have an idea of how impressive his skills are. No Minnow here; this is the Island Caper!

The history of Bellingham and Bellingham Bay is varied and rich. Most of the events that transpired in this part of the Pacific Northwest are on display every day at the Whatcom Museum of History and Art. If you’d prefer an open-air primer on the history of this place we call home, however, I would highly recommend the summer evening cruises. If you’d like more information, please call the museum at 360-671-6981, ext. 213. You’ll enjoy listening to Richard’s narration and his enthusiasm is infectious.

Bon voyage! §