Traveling with Storys: October 4, 2024 - Frazer Bay

October 4, 2024 - Thursday

Frazer Bay, Ontario

We only had to sail for a couple of hours during the night to get to our anchorage in Frazer Bay. Frazer Bay is part of Georgian Bay where we were yesterday at Killarney.

A beautiful sunrise on calm water

We woke to glassy water but chilly temperatures. The tenders cannot be used today, so we will be ferried ashore in zodiacs at 10 passengers per trip. We are scheduled for an 11:00 am zodiac ride leaving from Okeechobee Lodge. We were told to allow about 20 minutes before your scheduled time, but it took closer to 40 minutes as there were quite a few wanting to go ashore all at the same time. No worries, the zodiac team of guides were waiting for us when we got there. So, we transferred from one zodiac to another and off we went into Baie Fine. (Bay Fin)

Okeechobee Lodge - our headquarters for the day

Baie Fine is a freshwater fjord about 9 miles long. Carved by the recession of the ice age. Little islands dot the surface. The scenery is stunning. We spend about 45 minutes looking around while our guide talked to us about the retreat of glaciers and the geology of the area. The mountains here are quartzite and sparkle in the sunshine. It was rumored that a black bear was spotted earlier in the day, so we spent a little time studying the shore, hoping to spot it again. No such luck. But we did see a Loon. It was very illusive.

A nice bit of fall color

Only a few feet of rock sticking out of the water

This island is a bit bigger and has a few trees

Plant life fighting to hang on to these steep walls.

Back to shore we were able to dump the life preserver and enjoy a barbecue lunch that the Viking team had put together for us. After lunch, there was a presentation by some of the local Native Peoples. Some of their history, a drumming demonstration and some dancing. We left before the entire presentation was through and headed back to the ship. The wind is picking up a bit and we wonder if our Special Operations Boat ride later this afternoon will go on as planned.

So many acorns and not a squirrel in sight

4:00 pm was our time slot for the SOB ride and everything looks good. We are escorted down into the hangar and are loaded two at a time on to the SOB. Once everyone is aboard our guide gives us a little safety briefing, and off we went. Each seat is on a shock absorber, so even though we were flying across the water and bouncing off the swells, it was not at all jarring. The boat has two 440hp engines. At one point it was doing about 30 miles an hour. With its speed, it is able to cover quite a bit of distance, so you can go places and see things that the smaller zodiacs can’t accomplish. Our 30-minute excursion was quickly over, but we really enjoyed it and are looking forward to the next time we can go.