"Eagles have memories like elephants," said Jimmy our guide. "I haven't been here in two years but I'm sure those two birds remember me."

Over a thousand feet away, high on top a Douglas fir, two bald eagles are perched on a limb. Jimmy takes a rockfish off a line and whacks it on the deck, then throws it overboard.

Apparently, rockfish float.

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Trophy salmon are the norm for those lucky enough to fish the waters of Blackfish Sound. Photo-Michael McCarthy

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The instant the fish hits the surface of the water, one of the two eagles launches itself off its perch and dive bombs down like a rocket, hitting the water with talons outstretched, snatching its dinner and flying back to its perch to share the meal with its mate. It's an amazing display of life in the wild that few people fishing in Blackfish Sound would see without a guide.

Jimmy McDowell has been guiding in Blackfish Sound for most of his life, the longest serving employee of Sund's Lodge. The Sund family purchased the lodge in 1983 and turned it into a fishing resort. Between commercial and sport fishing, Jim has fished for the last 42 seasons, catching a 346-pound halibut and an 84-pound chinook along the way.

Blackfish Sound is located north of Vancouver Island, between Port Hardy and Malcolm Island, where Sund's Lodge is situated. The tranquil waters of the sound are caused through the protection of the northern tip of Vancouver Island, where rolling mountains provide shelter from the winds of the wild Pacific Ocean.

Wildlife abounds on and around Malcolm Island; salmon, bald eagles, porpoises, seals, otters, orcas and humpback whales fill the waters. On land black bear, deer and mink roam the woods. Coho, chum, sockeye, and pink salmon can be found and caught within minutes throughout the summer. From April through June, schools of feeding chinook enter the nearby coastal inlets of British Columbia, making Blackfish a mecca for sport fishing.

While the fishing draws anglers from around the world it's the whales, dolphins and eagles that put on the best visual show. Brackendale north of Squamish lays claim to being the bald eagle capital of the world, but the islands of Blackfish Sound are home to literally thousands of eagles drawn here by the abundance of fish cascading through the narrow sound on their annual migrations. The salmon draw the orcas, both resident and transient pods, and humpback whales are everywhere.

As if the natural wildlife weren't enough of an attraction, the Sund's maintain a large family of alpacas on their 20-acre property. These strange animals are an odd sight in northern climes. The little creatures are cousin to the llamas of South American origin, one of which--Mark, the honourary custodian--roams the neighbourhood freely.

"He's a character, that Mark," says McDowell, as we draw up to the dock. "We get a lot of kids up here and they love him. The dads go out fishing, the kids love to play with the alpacas, and the moms like to go into town."

Nearby Sointula, a former Finnish fishing village, is home to a museum and several local artists including carvers and a blacksmith.

In the middle of Blackfish Sound lies the town of Alert Bay, where the Kwakwaka'wakw First Nations host a splendid museum of native art. Just south of that you'll find Telegraph Cove, where thirsty mariners can put ashore for a pint, a saunter through the whaling research station, or wander the shops of this quaint boardwalk village.