Once we got ourselves squeezed into our kayaks, we headed out under cloudy skies. The weather was generally calm, but winds were forecast to pick up in the afternoon, so we wanted to make an early start and make our crossing quickly just in case the weatherman turned out to be right for once.
As we made our way down Cadboro Bay, we paddled through an area with a light sheen of oil on the water. It gave us pause to reflect on the terrible disaster going on in the Gulf of Mexico, and how lucky we are it hasn't happened here.
At Jemmy Jones Island, we paused to asses the Chatham Crossing. Conditions looked good, so we quickly skedaddled on our way....
...letting this seal take the lead.
He pretty much followed us the whole way across, and hung around as we did a quick exploration of a small bay on Chatham.
He popped up for a quick good-bye, and then he was off...
...and so were we. Mind you, we had to wait for the geese to cross the passage at Flower Island.
And another paddling day is done!
Of course, it was after the paddle that we saw the most wildlife. Driving back through the University of Victoria, we saw a pair of deer happily munching away on whatever greenery the rabbits haven't eaten yet.
Trip Length: 9.54 km
YTD: 102.37 km
More pictures are here (including more deer pictures).
Must have just missed you as I was out there too yesterday with a small group.
ReplyDeletelovely photos! we just paddled around the bay this morning (Sunday June 27) starting from Ten Mile Point and were soon accompanied by a grey whale! unfortunately it wasn't long before 5 whale watching boats came roaring around to join what was a peaceful and special morning on the water
ReplyDeleteHow's that for bad luck? The first we don't go kayaking off of 10 Mile in a while...and a whale shows up!
ReplyDeleteGlad you had a good time, Maria!