BC sea kayaking

[Mark R]

My wife and I have booked a rental double sea kayak for next week, and will be doing a four day trip around Desolation Sound 'Marine Park', about 120 km north of Vancouver. Anyone have experience of this place or this sort of thing? Kevin has said he'll lend us his bear spray...

Mark Rainsley

[MikeB]

Do remember that BEAR SPRAY is very different in its usage (and specifically in its application) to MOSSIE SPRAY! :p

Other than that, there are lots of trees - the boats will be biiiiiiiiiiggggggg - and you will have a wonderful time.

(Dont forget to haul your food up a tree though!)

Mike.

[Jim]

"Anyone have experience of this place or this sort of thing?"

I wish!

Let us know how it goes, I don't need much inspiration to give this a go myself (money, I need that) so a bit of inspiration might find me lobbying some of my sea kayaking friends to do a trip along those lines sometime soon.....

JIM

[Airmiles]

The sound inbetween the mainland and Vancouver island is fed by so many glaciers, there's a layer of semi-fresh water on top of the ocean water - which is COLD!

As well as the obvious effects on micro-climate, it also means that non salt-adapted land plants grow right down to the water's edge.

This effect was very pronounced in the Johnstone Strait (i.e. Northern and of VI) - the sound opens out somewhat the further south you go, I assume that reduces the effect?

It's awesome for wildlife, though - in three days we saw Dall's porpoise, Pacific Whiteside Dolphin, Stellar's sealion, Fishing Eagle.. and Orcas!

On other tip - some of the beaches on VI have a pit & sawdust latrine hidden in the woods behind, I guess the Park will operate the same system.

Should be awesome - I would love to be back there.

[MikeB]

You'll probably get to see Orcas! Wow - what a memory.

Another recall is of there being no fresh water available on any of the islands we used in the J/strait area. So bring lots.

If your travels bring you anywhere near Village Island, go visit. www.kayakbc.ca/nativeculture.htm - Tom, the guardian, does a nice line in culture/history tours as well as providing a super salmon cooked over embers. Also has a wee shop which provides seriously good beer.

Mike.

[Mark R]

No orcas, but four days of warm seas, fantastic weather, environment and wildlife - as I had a keen university trained Ecologist in the front of the (huge beast of a) double kayak, we covered ground in yards rather than miles. Heather was in heaven, surrounded by a million and one bizarre and squirmy sea creatures. I was pretty impressed myself, the multitudes of huge multi-coloured starfish were particularly splendid.

I'll write it all up and show piccies in due course - but suffice to say, we're already perusing guidebooks for future trips to Vancouver Island and further north.

Oh yeah - and (ahem) I'm now completely coverted to fishing. We caught some great meals from the kayak!

Mark Rainsley

[Mark R]

Our holiday snaps from this marvellous trip are now on the site...

www.guidebook.free-online.../index.htm


-----------Mark Rainsley

[sub5rider]

(sigh!)

Especially liked the tent photo.....

Must get around to doing my holiday pix.


Nigel, aka Sub5Rider, Onioneer

[Jim]

Wow, it's like a catalogue for an exotic aquarium suppliers!
Wish I was there!

I must remember not to be so wussy when delving into the touch pool at the sea life centre in future (I think I have the velvet crab sussed, the others make me nervous :-))

And as for the tent, why did you even need poles, or even that expensive tent shaped thing? 2 tarps, our throwlines and a handful of 6" nails sorted us out for shelter in Washington :-)

JIM

[Mark R]

The huge sea stars, starfish, etc. were heaped literally everywhere - you had to be careful where to step in the water. I couldn't believe how much life there was in the water. We were kept awake one night by the noise of seals snoring - I suppose camping on a rock ledge at the water's edge was a bad idea.

Another local noise was a regular 'thwack' which sounded not unlike a gunshot - we discovered that this is the sound of seals slapping fish on the water's surface - playing with their food, I guess.

Anyone know if the 'sea lions' picture does in fact show sea lions? I thought they were (yet more) seals but Heather reckoned that the beards indicated sea lions.


-----------Mark Rainsley

[sub5rider]

"Heather reckoned that the beards indicated sea lions."

Hmmm... could this become a new generic moniker for sea-kayakers of a certain ilk, I wonder ?
Nigel, aka Sub5Rider, Onioneer

[Douglas Wilcox]

Mark, what a fantastic collection of photos! Did you carry extra batteries and memory cards or was every shot a winner?

Despite a poor forecast, your photos inspired me to go paddling again this weekend!

Douglas :)

[Mark R]

I did indeed carry spare batteries and several cards, as this was a long holiday. I took 100-ish shots which were all pretty samey (the view from the backseat didn't change much).

Next big road trip, I'll take the laptop - allowing me to download shots and get quicker feedback on how they are working out. Still don't like judging shots taken using the LCD screen.

So Douglas, when are we going to see a photo-article from yourself in a mag?


-----------Mark Rainsley
Edited by: guidebook at: 9/9/03 10:42 pm

[Catherine Isabelle]

Hi Mark,

Nice pics - too bad you didn't see any orcas - I went in early Sept and saw loads! I'm kayaking around Gwaiin Hanaas (Q. Charlotte Islands) next summer in prep for expedition in 05 - Alaska to Victoria. Maybe we'll see you along the way! Cheers!