Look Down!

Here's a quick little video that's been around that's been making its way around the Interweb during the last few days. In Florida, a kayaker had a very close encounter with a basking shark. Check it out:

Naturalist's Talks in Victoria

The Victoria Natural History Society has three events planned for the next week; at least two of these events are likely to bring out a few local kayakers who take an interest in the study of local water conditions and protected areas. We don’t paddle only in swimming pools, after all, but out in the wide world with a host of plants and animals around us! Here’s the notice of their events, from the Saanich News:

March 15 – Victoria Natural History Society presentation,
Protected areas, climate change and the path forward.
7:30 pm at Swan Lake Nature House. Free; all welcome.

March 23 – Victoria Natural History Society presentation,
Cache Only – The Feeding Habits and Ecology of the Gray Jay, Canada’s Bird for All Seasons,
7:30 pm, room 159 of the Fraser Building, UVic. Free; all welcome.

March 28 – Victoria Natural History Society presentation,
UVic’s Marine Protected Area Research Group: From Whale Sharks To Clam Gardens, What Are They Doing?
7:30 pm, room 159 of the Fraser Building, UVic. Free; all welcome.

For more information on any Victoria Natural History Society events, go to their website at http://www.naturevictoria.ca/

Basking in Glory

Rupert Kirkwood from Holsworthy in the UK does a lot of sea kayaking. He has been paddling along the South West coast for a number of years, but he may have just had the kayaking highlight of his life.
On a recent paddle off the Cornish coast, he was surrounded by five sharks, each some 20 ft in length circling his kayak.
He recognized them as basking sharks, harmless to humans, and he held his waterproof camera underwater and started snapping. The results are astonishing photographs like this one.
Check out his blog here for his story and more pictures. They are amazing.