Figures in the Mist

Exploring in the fog...

It's a typical Vancouver Island West Coast scene... tendrils of heavy fog drift ashore from the ocean, slipping between the trees like wraiths and reducing fellow beachcombers in the distance to barely visible silhouettes.

Pacific Paradise... in Canada?!

Bali High... or Ucluelet, BC?

Now that tropical destinations are off the table for many Canadians due to the continuing pandemic, these hearty palm trees and BCs stunning scenery near Ucluelet will have to substitute.

The visitor

Tiny guests at our feeder...

We live near a nature sanctuary and get a large number of birds visiting our feeders.

The hummingbirds are frequent visitors. During the late summer and fall they will duke it out with the wasps for drinking rights at our feeders.

The answer: Big, noisy and smelly.

 

Sea lions at rest...

The question is: What three words that accurately describe pinnipeds, the class of animals that includes seals, sea lions and elephant seals?

We have two local varieties of sea lions -- California sea lions (seen above) and stellar sea lions. One way to distinguish between them is through their vocals. California sea lions bark whereas stellar sea lions snort and grunt. Also, stellar sea lions grow much bigger than California sea lions... about three times as heavy.

Elephant seals (seen below) grow bigger yet, typically up to twice as heavy as a stellar sea lion. We saw this big guy/gal on a nearby island during our recent whale watching expedition.

An elephant seal takes a break...

Deep diver

Going for depth...

Recently my wife and I treated our nephew to a whale watching trip as a birthday present. It was organized through Eagle Wing Tours. They made it a great experience despite the COVID-19 measures they had to put in place in order to stay operating.

Our tour guide kept up a non-stop commentary about local marine wild life in her pleasant Irish accent. Along the way we saw three separate humpback whales.

As she explained it, typically these whales will surface for three to five big breaths before doing a deep dive to go for food. The deep dive is signified by the flip up of the tail out of the water as they go nearly vertical.

Whales on the move...

Duck soup

We live close to a small nearby lake known as Swan Lake. It was carved out via glacial action and is fed only by a few streams and rainwater.

All of which means the water is relatively stagnant. In the summer, algae blooms spread across much of the lake's surface creating a pea soup effect.

However, it doesn't seem to bother the numerous ducks, cormorants, gulls, turtles, frogs and small fish that call the lake home.

Fantastic Shapes and Where to Find Them

Organic textures carved out by the ocean's forces...

Along the shorelines of the Gulf Islands, you'll find strange strange shapes and textures that have been carved out by the relentless forces of waves and water.

It's a characteristic of the soft sandstone and shale that makes up the islands.

Sunrise at 20.8478° N

A panorama of gold and blue...

Sunrise over the Caribbean off the coast near Puerto Morelos, Mexico...

Sunrise at 48.8476° N

The sun's rays appear over Mayne Island...

Mayne Island BC off the east coast of Vancouver Island lies just south of the 49th parallel.

Winning battles / Losing wars

Plastic and foam among the seaweed of a Mexican beach...

During our stay in Mexico we took a stroll to the nearby village of Puerto Morelos. Just off the waterfront is a large protected marine park. Tour boats take visitors out to snorkel among the marine wildlife.

As we strolled along the beach though, it was disheartening to see how much plastic debris there was along the shoreline.

The climate crisis has brought into sharp focus other abuse we are heaping on the natural environment such as our overuse of disposable plastic.

Sometimes I wonder: Are we in the middle of a battle -- or a war -- to save ourselves from ourselves?

Morning breakfast

Warm sun, good food, excellent company...

Both mornings during our Galiano stay, I picked up some coffee and some very tasty baked goods from a nearby cafe/bakery.

We enjoyed them from our very private balcony which overlooked the resort grounds and the main ferry terminal of Sturdies Bay.

In the warm mid-morning sun, we were happy to eat our breakfast while watching the ferry traffic go by.

A peek from the peak...

Snow and clouds at five thousand feet...

A view of the nearby ranges from the top of Mt Washington. My wife and I were there for a day of skiing. This year's warmer than usual winter has thinned out the snow at the top.

Sun, warm temperatures and no crowds... perfect!

Biblical

Receding flood waters flow in and out
of the popular Russell Farms Market

Vancouver Island set a record for rainfall during the month of January, particularly during the last weekend. At time it came down in sheets that continued for hours.

The result was that some roadside businesses -- such as the one pictured above -- suffered catastrophic flooding. This roadside produce stand is expected to be closed for months as a result.

Further up island, debris and downed trees were swept down swollen and surging rivers and out to sea. As tides rolled in, they simply redistributed all that flotsam on to nearby beaches.

A carpet of root balls, down trees and debris...

Cenote

A refreshing swim...

Cenotes are a common feature of the Yucatán Peninsula in Mexico. They are essentially sinkholes which appear when limestone bedrock dissolves to the point it collapses to expose the river underneath.

Tourists will often go for a swim in these cenotes after a day spent doing tourist-y stuff. I'm always surprised by how clear and warm the water is. It's also surprising to see fish swimming in them.

Here on Vancouver Island we have our very own cenote. Wikipedia tells me that it is known as the Devil's Bath. I can't say I've ever heard it called that... it's difficult to get to and I don't think swimming it would be a fun experience at our latitude.

Waterplay at the end of a hot day...

Haiku: The bridge

mist greets the sunrise

where will this old bridge take you?

do not think...forward!

On the road to Tofino

A Vancouver Island river carves a leisurely path..

Driving to Tofino on Vancouver Island is a long twisty adventure but along the way you get to see some of the prettiest scenery on Vancouver Island.

Call of the wild

An eagle cries out for company...

This gal/guy(?) was perched on a far away tree at the limits of my pocket camera. I waited patiently to try to get it mid-screech. S/he seemed to be calling to another nearby eagle wheeling overhead.

In fact, it was more of a screech than a call, so I'm gonna assume it was female.

😉

It is later than you think...

-- Paul Bowles

"The Sheltering Sky"

Note: If you can't read the text above, click to see the full size image.

The quote above was said to be Brandon Lee's -- son of Bruce Lee -- favourite quote and is inscribed on his tombstone. Bruce Lee died at the young age of 32 so it's possible that the early death of his father left the younger Lee with a unique understanding of how short our time on earth can be and the importance of not wasting it.

Sadly, much as his father died on the cusp of achieving worldwide stardom, Brandon Lee also died at the too-young age of 28 while filming the movie The Crow. His final performance was well-received by critics who felt that he showed promise as an up-and-coming charismatic actor.

Colourful swimmer

One fish, blue fish...

Many species of tropical fish are brightly coloured, but some of our local species are just as colourful, albeit in a more monochromatic way.

This gal/guy is one of the inmates at the Shaw Centre for the Salish Sea in Sidney, BC.

The Centre is a popular attraction with kids and adults alike. The steampunk-inspired entrance simulates a dive to the bottom of the ocean in a faux-submarine.

Calling Jules Verne...

Spearfish Canyon Part II

Early morning sun on the waterfalls...

I mentioned our early morning drive through Spearfish Canyon of South Dakota in a post last week. A highlight of the tour was the many waterfalls that visitors can contemplate and admire along the way.

Bridal veil falls in Spearfish Canyon SD...