Month: December 2013

HAPPY NEW YEAR

Panos, Snow, Strathcona

20131231-Strathcona Pano,December 31st,2013It was totally overcast when I woke up this morning & has been that way for so long that I truly would not be able to tell you off hand when it was last sunny?
Having said that,the clouds broke & fantastic sunshine came screaming through! I dropped what I was doing & got my gear together to head out in my boat! As soon as I had gotten out I noticed some nasty clouds beginnning to move back in!! It appears Mother Nature had suckered me! She wanted my photographic year to go out on a laugh at my expense! She does have a sense of humour,I just do not appreciate her sense!
Well,……..I already was out & so basically took a boat ride around the local area to see what I could see? There has been a Sea Otter hanging around,so I went looking for it. Nothing!
Really striking out today!
You can see how flat the light was! Normally I don’t shoot on days like this,but I was already committed! My boat is on land & I have to haul it by hand down to the beach,along with several hundred pounds of other gear………namely a 110lb outboard! So it takes a lot of effort on my part to go out! You wouldn’t believe the amount of work it takes to go out & than haul everything back up at the end of the day!
Yes,I was disappointed to see the light so close & yet so far away! However,I was still able to get out on New Years Eve & that does ease the pain some what!

I hope the coming year brings you more smiles & fewer tears folks!

2013 in review

Tofino Wildlife

The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2013 annual report for this blog.

Here’s an excerpt:

The concert hall at the Sydney Opera House holds 2,700 people. This blog was viewed about 29,000 times in 2013. If it were a concert at Sydney Opera House, it would take about 11 sold-out performances for that many people to see it.

Click here to see the complete report.

SALTY

Wolf

20120531-20120205-IMG_6220-2I shot this on February 5th 2012. It is of a female wolf I knew for several years. I didn’t know it at the time but this was the last time I would ever see her! She was shot by a local redneck! She & one of her cubs.
Than they both were thrown into the garbage like trash! Cosmic karma caught up with this redneck a year later when he blew his own head off!
I miss her very much & am constantly watching out for her partner “Pepper”. Pepper brought up the two others cubs & now they are bigger than he is & have the same coat as their mother!

AIR PLANE ACCIDENT

Tofino Wildlife

20131227-IMG_2180This RCMP helicopter was taking off from Tofino to go over to Vargas island where a plane had crashed. It crashed on Vargas island’s SW corner on December 14th. Two people died. A father & son from Alberta.
Vargas island is a flat island, so the water pools in swampy type terrain. The plane appears to of gone in nose first. Not only did the family loose their Father & son but the bodies could not be recovered before the Christmas season. The plane was submerged into the swamp.
Some locals were concerned about this situation! A group of men (friends of the deceased) flew down from Edmonton to help recover the bodies.

The plan is to drain the water around the plane & recover the two bodies.

TRANQUIL EAGLE

Eagles, Tofino Wildlife, Tranquil Inlet

20131227-IMG_218520131227-IMG_220820131227-IMG_2211It seemed like a eternity since I was last able to get out!! The sky’s cleared today,so I took off down the inlet to Cannery bay. I wanted to see if the Sea Lions had come back yet? I was disappointed to find out that they hadn’t arrived yet! They should of been here a month ago!
That can mean only one thing………..the food for them (small fish) has not arrived either.
The oceans currents are constantly moving around. The plankton moves with them & thus the small fish follow & the predators follow them.
It appears this year the currents are not in our favour. It will be a poor year for our Lions friends.

I went over to Rankin rocks to check in & see what was going on? There usually are birds & seals hanging around,but not today! Only a single eagle.
I’ve seen this eagle & it’s mate before on the rocks. They are not familiar with me,so getting close is a tricky affair!

I began my return trip to town. Stopped at Tsapee Narrows but only the Daredevil was around. Wished him a Merry Christmas.
Continued on to Morpheus island. Maggie flew out to greet me! Not sure where Moe was?
Wished her well & moved onto Deadman island to visit with Romeo & Juliette. They both surprised me & flew out from Beck island. Neither perched for me on their rocky throne. Juliette flew back to Beck island. Spent some quality time with Romeo! I asked him how their Christmas was? One of their eaglets from previous years dropped in,but Romeo chirped angrily to ward it away!
The sun had set so I moved around the harbour a bit & found a Sea Otter! Unfortunately the light was gone by this time but I did manage to get a few shots of the cutey pie!
Didn’t get much on today’s shoot but it was great just getting out! Very disappointed that the Lions hadn’t arrived yet! I wonder if they will come this year at all?

COMING BACK IN

Lennard Island Lighthouse, Surfing

20131223-IMG_2125I have been waiting ever so patiently for good weather! A Saint would be impressed!
I have been waiting for some good weather to get out! If I don’t get out,I have been known to become a Grumpy old Grinch!
So when it cleared up today & I headed down the road,I was ever so disappointed to see not only rain coming our way but the harbour was already capping from the wind! I knew instantly that this is exactly how bad things can happen! Someone with not as much experience might push going out & get themselves into big trouble!
I couldn’t do a thing but return to my apartment very disappointed! I decided to do the next best thing & go out to the beach. I did get a few shots but nothing outstanding. It was more a cathartic exercise!
I’m putting all my hopes in getting out tomorrow……….”CHRISTMAS EVE”!
I have a present for all of you……………

STRAWBERRY ISLAND FLOATHOUSES

Floathouse, Strawberry Island

20131218-PANO #2,DECEMBER 18TH,201320131218-PANO,DECEMBER 18TH,2013It finally got sunny today after what seemed like a eternity! I was looking forward to getting out but was worried about the wind picking up & shutting me down!
Sure enough……..that’s exactly what happened! The harbour was kicking up some good sized waves & there was no way in hell I was going out in that stuff! I value my life!
Thus, I was grounded once again but this time with great light that I couldn’t do anything with! I almost hate these sunny days more than overcast rainy weather. It’s like Mother Nature is teasing me!!
I decided to take a few token shots anyways. Maybe tomorrow will be ok to get out? I want to see if the Lions have arrived yet in Cannery bay?

THE “HAWIIAN CHIEFTAIN” & THE “LADY WASHINGTON”

Tall Ships

20120829-20080715-20080727-IMG_6514-2I originally shot this on July 15th,08. They both were visiting Tofino. Tofino was the end town for a Tall Ship festival. Many ships started out in Seattle,than Vancouver,onto Victoria & than to Port Alberni & finally Tofino. Only these two came to Tofino.
This was taken the night before they were to leave. It was part of a dueling show. They would make runs towards each other & let their canons go!
I was lucky to find that not a single boat was out with me & them! That was great because I did not want them in my foreground scene!

The Tall Ship festival is suppose to be every three years but they didn’t come back in 2011. The economy was depressed enough to keep them tied up at their berths.
Hope they come back soon!
The ship on the right (Lady Washington) was used in the first “Pirates of the Caribbean”movie with Johnny Depp. The “Curse of the Black Pearl”. The ships name in the movie was the “Interceptor”

THE LIONS!

California Sea Lion, Steller Sea Lion, Tofino Wildlife

20120516-20120114-IMG_300420120516-20120114-IMG_3071I took this on January 14th (Jan 14th,2012)
I posted this shot to show you what “should” be there right now…………but isn’t!
The Lions haven’t arrived yet! They are overdue & the only reason I can think of is “food”! All animals follow the food! (terrestrial or aquatic) If the Lions aren’t in yet than logic dictates that the food can’t be there either.
The ocean’s currents circulate in the Pacific. The plankton are carried along on these current & the small fish follow. The bigger fish follow the smaller ones & the Lions follow the bigger fish.
I’m expecting a poor attendance this year with the Lions. The oceanic currents just aren’t bringing the plankton inland,so we’re not getting the bait fish.
I do expect they’ll show up sooner or later but in fewer numbers.

THE DAREDEVIL

Eagles, Tofino Wildlife

20091204-20090629-20090629-20090629-IMG_9145Once again the weather is poor,so I’m forced to post a shot from the past. I originally shot this on June 29th,09.
It’s one of the few shots I have showing the front profile. Eagles normally go beside & almost never towards. I named this eagle the “Daredevil” because of him being “fearless”!
He once was so close that his wing tip struck my boat!

COAST GUARD HEADING OUT

Canadian Coast Guard

20131207-IMG_188120131207-IMG_1878It was sunny & cold today! So I bundled up & put on my wool balaclava!
I saw the Coast Guard getting ready to head out & asked them if I could take a shot of them. I told them where I wanted them & went down to the spot to wait for them. I always love using the snowy mountains of Strathcona as my background!
Sure enough they came zipping by & I got the shot!
Continued down the inlet to Cannery bay. I wanted to see if the Lions had arrived yet? After arriving it became obvious that they were not home!
Very disappointing! I think this year is going to be poor for them? They follow the food & if they are not here than that means the food isn’t either!
Because I was in the neighbourhood,I decided to head over to Tranquil to check on the Trumpeters. Sure enough they were they but very skittish to get close to! I went into the system just to burn some time. I always love going into Tranquil! Had some quiet reflective time to myself & than left.
The sun was lower than what I had thought! I only had time to visit with the Daredevil/Delilah at Tsapee Narrows! They both seemed happy & healthy today! Stayed only a few minutes with them before the sun went behind the tree line.
Said goodnight & headed back into the harbour.
I noticed Tam on her perch tree at Lovekin Point. There was a crescent moon out,so I lined them both up for a few shots.
The light had gone by this time,so I called it.
I was disappointed that the Lions hadn’t shown up yet,but it was still great getting out………..always is!!

THE K-19 GANG IS BACK!

Tofino Wildlife, Trumpeter Swans

20131206-IMG_1648FINALLY I was able to get out into the real world!! My mission today was to go down to Cannery bay & see if the Lions have come back yet? They should be there??
The wind was fine,but it was very cold! I have no windshield on my boat,so I bundled up & took off! I was at Tsapee narrows looking eastward & saw a boat coming towards me. I also noticed that it was kicking up a lot of water which made me curious as to why? When I got closer to the SE corner of Meares Island & was able to look eastward down Tofino Inlet I quickly realized why!! There was a Arctic outflow coming off the mainland & that outflow direction was perfectly fitting Tofino Inlets direction! That meant big cold splashy waves! I knew instantly that there was NO WAY IN HELL I was going down there with all that going on! I was just able to sneak by the SE corner of Meares & head on up into Fortune Channel!
I knew the bears would be all in bed snoring away & it was high tide anyways,but I had to go somewhere? I needed to burn up some time so as to wait for the sunset,so I explored Mosquito harbour. Didn’t find a single living thing but it was still worth while venture! Oh…….I did find millions of Moon Jelly’s in Mosquito however! Watching them always relaxes me!
I headed back to town. Didn’t stop at Tsapee for a visit because the light was too bright. I went to Morpheus island to visit with Moe & Maggie.
They both came out to greet me! Stayed for awhile with my two feathered friends & began to hunt around for anything of interest? Slim pickings today folks!
Filled up the fuel tank & headed over to Deadman island to visit with Romeo & Juliette. I was very disappointed when I couldn’t find them anywhere? I took off & was going back over to Morpheus when I noticed one of them flying in from Beck island! I turned around & went back. The little buggers were watching me all along from the shaded side of Beck island. Playing with me I think!
I stayed with my two friends until sunset & said goodnight to them both.

I was disappointed that I couldn’t go check on my Lion friends,but maybe tomorrow if the wind is down.It was still great getting out even if the windchill factor had to be around -15 or so!

I did notice the K-19 gang was back & all accounted for too. They like the small bay on Meares island just to the east of Tsapee.