365 Project, Day 170
Here is my day 170 submission to my 365Project:
Today's photo is of a Black Oystercatcher (Haematopus bachmani) coming in for a landing on the rocky shore at East Point Saturna Island.
What an early start I had this morning! I had to wake up at 3 am to get ready to head to the 5 am ferry to spend the day on Saturna Island, one of the gulf islands in the Salish Sea. My friend's who own Kelp Reef Adventures kayaking were taking a big group of about 40 school students from Alberta kayaking all day from where they were in port on Saturna Island. The students were spending about a week on a School At Sea program onboard the MV Edgewater Fortune. During this program they learn about seamanship, marine biology, tidal studies, marine navigation and general marine knowledge.
I wasn't participating in the kayaking part of the day although my friends are encouraging me to get my kayak guiding certifications so I can help them out with trips in the future and I might just do that because I do love kayaking. Instead, I was the official 'dog sitter' so, despite the early morning, I had a pretty relaxed day. Once the students finished their breakfast and mustered at the docks where all the kayaks were laid out for them to learn about paddling and then be on their way, I took my two companions for the day for our adventure. I would be hanging out with two lovely pups...Lukka, a chihuahua/Jack Russell mix and Bella an Australian shepherd, who I believe is a 'mini' given how small she is (they are the perfect size to take kayaking)!
Most of our day was spent at East Point, which is part of the Gulf Islands National Park Reserve, on the far east end of Saturna Island and overlooks Boundary Pass and into the Strait of Georgia. This area is a very productive marine environment and a wonderful spot to observe bird and marine mammal life; it is not unusual to spot cetaceans such killer whales (Orcinus orca), Pacific white-sided dolphins (Lagenorhynchus obliquidens) or Habour porpoise (Phocoena phocoena) or pinnipeds such as Harbour seals (Phoca vitulina) and Steller sea lions (Eumatopias jubatus).
We didn't spot any of the cetacean species today but there were plenty of harbour seals and steller sea lions around to keep us entertained!
Today's photo is of a Black Oystercatcher (Haematopus bachmani) coming in for a landing on the rocky shore at East Point Saturna Island.
What an early start I had this morning! I had to wake up at 3 am to get ready to head to the 5 am ferry to spend the day on Saturna Island, one of the gulf islands in the Salish Sea. My friend's who own Kelp Reef Adventures kayaking were taking a big group of about 40 school students from Alberta kayaking all day from where they were in port on Saturna Island. The students were spending about a week on a School At Sea program onboard the MV Edgewater Fortune. During this program they learn about seamanship, marine biology, tidal studies, marine navigation and general marine knowledge.
I wasn't participating in the kayaking part of the day although my friends are encouraging me to get my kayak guiding certifications so I can help them out with trips in the future and I might just do that because I do love kayaking. Instead, I was the official 'dog sitter' so, despite the early morning, I had a pretty relaxed day. Once the students finished their breakfast and mustered at the docks where all the kayaks were laid out for them to learn about paddling and then be on their way, I took my two companions for the day for our adventure. I would be hanging out with two lovely pups...Lukka, a chihuahua/Jack Russell mix and Bella an Australian shepherd, who I believe is a 'mini' given how small she is (they are the perfect size to take kayaking)!
Most of our day was spent at East Point, which is part of the Gulf Islands National Park Reserve, on the far east end of Saturna Island and overlooks Boundary Pass and into the Strait of Georgia. This area is a very productive marine environment and a wonderful spot to observe bird and marine mammal life; it is not unusual to spot cetaceans such killer whales (Orcinus orca), Pacific white-sided dolphins (Lagenorhynchus obliquidens) or Habour porpoise (Phocoena phocoena) or pinnipeds such as Harbour seals (Phoca vitulina) and Steller sea lions (Eumatopias jubatus).
We didn't spot any of the cetacean species today but there were plenty of harbour seals and steller sea lions around to keep us entertained!
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| Gulls, a Double-crested Cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritus) and crow (Corvus caurinus) hanging out at the ferry terminal |
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| Kayaks all ready to go on the dock at Saturna Island |
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| Savannah Sparrows (Passerculus sandwichensis) |
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| Savannah Sparrow (Passerculus sandwichensis) |
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| This poor Harbour seal (Phoca vitulina) appears to have a tumor coming out of its eye :( |
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| Views from East Point looking across Boundary Pass to the San Juan Islands, WA (and Bella!) |
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| Lukka taking in the view |
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| Harbour seal (Phoca vitulina) |
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| Harbour seal (Phoca vitulina) |
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| Harbour seal (Phoca vitulina) |
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| Lots of Steller sea lions (Eumatopias jubatus) hanging out with the sea birds |
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| Steller sea lion (Eumatopias jubatus) cruising along near the shore at East Point |
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| Steller sea lions (Eumatopias jubatus) cruising along near the shore at East Point |
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| Boundary Pass with Mount Baker in the background and container ship heading to Vancouver |
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| Mount Baker...as taken through polarized sunglasses (I forgot my filter today!) |
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| The schooner Maple Leaf, one of the options for small ship expedition cruising in BC and Alaska (Check out their website here) |
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| Amazing wind and water carved sandstone formation at East Point |
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| These two gull were 'sharing' (or stealing from each other!) a seastar one of them had caught |
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| Blossoming tree at East Point |
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