f the horizon—and getting closer. My poor mother, having left the binoculars with the kayaks, sprinted back down to the beach to grab that essential object for whale viewing. By the time she returned the whales were much closer to our island and were circling some rocks about 100 meters from our campsite. Hours, or rather minutes (or was it seconds?) later, the whales were near the edge of our perception. Now, the only way to see them was through the binoculars. With those lenses we saw the whales slap their tails and perform various wild acrobatics. Then they dissolved into the horizon.---------------------------------
For three days, my mother and I kayaked around Lasqueti Island. We camped two nights, stayed with friends one night and nearly ran out of water. I had to forgo my hot chocolate one night, quelle domage!
Lasqueti is an island about an hours passenger ferry-ride from Parksville, Vancouver Island. While only 20 km long and 10 km wide, our circumnavigation is my longest kayak trip to date.
One of the nice things about Lasqueti Island is the profusion of wildlife that lives on or near the shoreline. As we rounded points and poked our noses around reef islands we constantly surprised and frightened the blimp-like Harbour Seals. Five or six immediately would slide, slither and fall into the water while one anxious mother hovered near a young pup who hadn’t yet fled to the sea. One mother and pup pair froze as we passed within meters of their rocky encampment. I could see the grain of their fur, pup’s spots and hear their breathy snorts.
Even though we started the expedition in rain and a very turbulent sea, the trip ended with blue skies and a heat that begged swimming. Every break resulted in a quick dive into the ocean—which produced, always, a “oh, that’s cold!” The last leg of the paddle was against a headwind, but we were able to coast into our bay amidst the delighted yelps of our dog and family as they caught sight of my mum and me.
