An Incredible Day Of Nature Therapy
(Photo is taken facing Mt. Baker in Washington State while I am sitting in Canadian waters. The land in the foreground is also part of the USA. This curious Harbour Seal followed me nearly the entire row back)
Prep Time
Rowing a single seat Whitehall Rowboat into the Pacific Ocean, has been one of the most soul soothing experiences of my life. The ocean has such power that demands respect. The rewards of intertwining with it & raw nature, in its purest forms, deliver such a thrilling sense of pleasure...it's my kind of therapy.
Plus you usually catch bucket full of crab legs!
This following series of photos and descriptions reveal one of the most fulfilling ways to spend a day that my life has ever encountered. As a lover of nature, no other excursion has scratched the surface on what these rowboat trips do in connecting you with as many elements of it.
The voyage starts at the docks of Oak Bay Marina in Victoria, BC...
Time To Hit The Water
Once you get out of the marina, you travel out half of a nautical mile to a depth of roughly 80-100 feet. The idea is to set your traps, row the rest of the day, then pick them up on your way back later in the day.
Raw chicken is my preferred choice of bait. Salmon heads work as well. Any meat would likely do, but chicken seems to get the best results for me. The key is to plan to have the traps hit the seafloor no later than 30 minutes before the tide turns. This way, the scent has a chance to travel one direction, then be swept back the other way as the tide changes--expanding the area of smell that your bait will cover.
Luckily, this location for crabbing, has been kind to us every single trip (other than the time I lost a trap in the current). We seem to catch our limit with each voyage, where at the end the day, we can consume the hard earned catch!
This was a great haul...
The Best Part
The crabbing aspect of this day trip, believe it or not, is not even the best part! Once the traps are set, you embark on a 6km row towards a small inhabited island. The island is called Discovery Island. It is the last spec of Canadian land before you soon travel into the waters of Washington State, USA. On the right day, you can get a perfect view of Mt Baker in Washington State.
The sea life is abundant, beautiful birds pass by closely & the sounds of the city fade away. You get a far enough distance away from civilization to realize that you are now a visitor in their environment.
This realization is what triggers that sense of energy that is vibrating outside of yourself; yet concurrently connected deeper inside of you than you could speak words on. It is a thrilling connection to something larger than yourself. In fact, you are just an imposter to this world, but allowed to partake as a Being of lesser importance.
(After attempting to get a closer look at this bald eagle, he took off before I could get into the position that I wanted. Luckily, the camera has an incredible FPS feature and I was able to salvage a photo of it taking off with land still in the frame)
At this point, I hadn't even arrived at Discovery Island yet!
This harbour seal was still relatively close to the marina, which made him a little more tame; allowing me to pass by from about 30 yards. The seals and sea lions near Discovery behave a bit differently (as you will see).
Near the marina, the harbour seals are lazy, they are not afraid of you getting relatively close, all they want is tourist food.
Once you near the shores of Discovery Island, you will be astonished at the welcoming. Dozens of curious harbour seals pop out of the water to say hello. They are curious but cautious.
This next photo had me a bit concerned. This was the first solo trip to the island. In no time, the boat was surrounded by seals (from a distance).
Your heart races knowing that tipping the boat would be simple for them to do if they wanted. The thoughts of nobody getting to you in time race through your head in the event that something does happen.
You cannot help but think that you rowed into the wrong neighbourhood.
After 15 minutes or so, we got used to each other. I felt safe, the few courageous seals of the bunch would pop up near the boat, but would dive down as I reached for my camera.
This adds a layer to that vibration of amazing energy that nature in its purest forms can inject into you.
Destination Reached
Every single photo prior to this one was taken within 2 hours of leaving the docks. Once I pulled the boat onto the shores of Discovery Island, I recall sitting back & staring at it, mesmerized by the journey it just floated me through.
Then to think that this was only half of the trip!
Discovery Island
Discovery Island is a true gem in the Pacific North West. Nobody resides here. There was a lone wolf that lived on the island since 2012, named Takaya. Takaya has a legendary story for another day, but she died in an unfortunate manner.
Once you arrive to the island, there are a couple of main hiking trails, but I enjoy walking the shoreline. There are a few old boat houses, a rugged camping area and a lighthouse. The terrain is amazing.
(Photo taken on Discovery Island pointing towards Vancouver Island)
Important Notes For Adventurers
Rowing away from Canadian shores in the Pacific Ocean can be daunting given the swift currents that can suddenly turn a leisurely cruise into a panting, sweaty -- full body workout.
Maintaining course can be difficult, therefore, it is always important to: know the tide schedules, know the wind speed/direction, time of sunset, and always have some counter measures in place in the event of a possible setback.
Things To Consider
- Pack more water than you anticipate drinking
- Be sure to have your phone charged up.
- Place your phone in a ziplock or waterproof bag inside your pocket. In the event that your vessel capsizes (this happens far more than people think), you will have a dry device to communicate with to call the coast guard.
- For those that wish to spare no expense, purchase a handheld VHF Marine Radio or a personal EPIRB beacon (Emergency Position-Indicating Radio Beacon). These devices can send out immediate distress signals for rescuers to know your precise coordinates. During times of severe weather, these devices are the differences in you living or dying.
- If possible, wear fluorescent colours (preferably green). In the event of a rescue, these are the easiest colours to see in the ocean. Black, Blue & Brown are colours to avoid. Fluorescent vests are affordable and can make the difference between you living and dying.
People often assume the ocean is a large, easily navigate-able body over water. The truth is, there are currents far stronger than some of the fastest raging rivers that you see, that will twist you around a have their way with you. Mixtures of weather, wind and tides turning can create some funky waves that have the ability of turning over motorized vessels let alone personal watercraft. The ocean is to be respected--prepare appropriately!
Summary Of Takaya
In 2012 Takaya swam the entire way through the swift currents from Vancouver Island and called Discovery home for 8 years.
It was prohibited to visit the island with pets for the time she was on the island due to bad encounters that had happened before.
You would walk one direction along the shoreline in untouched sand, only to noticed her footprints on the way back. She like to follow you around but kept her distance from humans.
In the Spring of 2020, for an unknown reason, Takaya swam back to Victoria and was soon seen within urban habitat. Authorities took Takaya up island and released her in the Port Renfrew area.
Takaya was doing well, but in March of 2020, a hunter shot & killed her. Understandably, this caused an uproar with the locals given Takaya's legendary story.
"https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/takaya-wolf-vancouver-island-bc-killed-1.5511304
I hope you enjoyed this story.
#seaphotography #amazingnature #photographylovers #thelifestylelounge