Wow! The last three weeks have gone by really fast. They were some of the best days of my life in many ways. When I got home to the west coast I had only about twenty four hours until I headed up to northern Vancouver Island to spend time with family, friends, and whales. Below is a photo of one of the humpbacks I encountered in the fog on a short trip out into Blackfish Sound. Both the A36 brothers and some of the A30s were also seen swimming past in the mist. Their vocalizations rang so clear through the water and were were amplified by the aluminium hull of our boat as four individuals dove beneath our boat.
After a few days in this paradise, I was off to sail the northwest coast of Vancouver Island with the S.A.L.T.S. tall ship called the Pacific Swift. It was a gloriously sunny morning when we set off from Port Hardy on calm glassy waters. However, it not peaceful for long. At the northerly end of Goletas Channel the swells began to roll in. The skipper decided the weather was perfect for a night run up to Triangle Island, which would be reached early in the morning. All evening the boat rocked and rolled, even in its anchorage once the island was reached. Below is a photo of our sister ship, the Pacific Grace, in anchorage besides us.
Triangle Island is truly a magical place. No one is allowed to set foot on the island without a permit and we could only go so close when we went rowing in the dories. However, despite these rules, it is excellent viewed only from the water. Below is a photo of the dories rowing through one of the expansive kelp forests found on the south side of the island.
With its vast cliffs and amazing avian life, this remote isle of rock is a scientist's dream! Channels full of sea palm, gooseneck barnacles, and giant green surf anemones give the island an other-worldy feel. Along the rocks bask large colonies of steller sea lions. Tufted puffins and other sea birds nest high on the cliffs. The photo below is of the Pacific Swift against the cliffs of Triangle.
After a wonderfully short stay there, the ships sailed south towards Vancouver Island's western coast. Sailing around a large outcrop of land we saw about fifteen humpbacks lunge feeding and travelling across the horizon. Our next shore excursion was along the south side of Brooks Peninsula. The rocky coast was strewn with rocky tide pools full of sea life. Along the shore there was even a decent sized cavern that we could squeeze into through a small entrance. Below is a photo of that coastline.
The very next day, we did another long shore walk to the Estevan Point Lighthouse. At the beginning of the trail there was a neat section of sculpted rock in an area of high sulphur (whether from springs or a combination of sources I'm not exactly sure). There were pockets of washed up seaweed that showed an incredible amount of diversity!
Beyond this part of the beach was a vast field of boulders that stretched to the lighthouse. The crossing was a little tedious, but very interesting! On the way back the tide was so high that only a narrow field of rocks was available as a path along the shore. This is one of the most scientifically interesting beach walks I have ever done.
Below is a photo of the lighthouse from the water. When we left the beach the sea was very calm and glassy. Down past the point we travelled to a place called Hesquiat Harbour to stay the night.
The next day everyone went ashore to cook a wonderful Spanish rice dish known as paella. The whole affair took about two and a half hours over smouldering coals as each part of the meal was carefully cooked and prepared before being stirred together to simmer.
One of the last stops on this wonderful journey was a little river in Barkley Sound. Boating up the stream with grassy banks and evergreen forests behind seemed to be a wonder in itself. Through the clear water of the estuary one could see oyster beds and jellyfish. However, further up the river a whole new world of waterfalls and quiet pools greeted all. It was almost as if a piece of Hawaii had been found along the B.C. coast.
After one last full day of rain and a fun lacrosse game on a nearby beach, the Pacific Swift motored into harbour to let off its boatload of trainees. It was such a bitter sweet moment to see a community formed over ten days finally disband to bring its newfound knowledge back into the real world. In many ways I wish I would have been able to stay on the ship with all the wonderful new friends I had made, but God has other plans for me.
I am now back in Nova Scotia with the pilot whales, dreaming of sailing the Pacific once again. Sir Winston Churchill once said, "Now is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning." As I leave what I have known on the west coast to start a new chapter of my life, I cannot help looking forwards with a mixture of curiosity, excitement, and anxiety. What will the coming years bring?
Fair Winds!
