Day4 - Exploring Victoria, Vancouver Island
We started this nice relaxed day off with the Canadian classic pancakes, maple syrup and a lot of cream. We first visited the totem poles outside the Royal BC museum. Then we went to the brilliant Victoria Bug Zoo where the staff showed us insects and other invertebrates some of which we could hold. In room two, there was a massive leaf cutter ant colony that spread over the whole wall which was incredible. It is a tiny space but they've used every inch brilliantly.
As we strolled down to the front we saw our first gulls of Canada… Glaucose-winged gulls. Our stroll took us to fisherman’s wharf which is a floating village and shops where we saw loads of anemones, and I mean loads! Almost unnoticeably a small little jellyfish was propelling its self slowly under water using pulsative locomotion. Afterwards, we went on a 'pickle boat', the water taxis around the harbour, to outside Chinatown and we took a stroll through Chinatown which was incredible.
Day 5 - Driving to Ucluelet, Vancouver Island
On a long drive you need a couple of stops, so we started with a view point looking over where we’d paddled previously to see the bioluminescence. During this stop we saw a big bird of prey, so I grabbed the bird book and we got in the car and identified it as the turkey vulture. Keeping my eyes peeled and we saw vulture after vulture after vulture, and then we looked closer at one that seemed a little different and identified it as a red-tailed hawk, so realised it was a mixture of raptors we had seen on then journey.
Next stop was the Hole in the Wall, a waterfall that cascades through a hole in the rocks. Here I went swimming in the pool at the base of the falls and saw a bald eagle circling above me. There was a great ice cream shop nearby, so we had one before starting the drive again!
Our next stop, was at Sproat Lake. We had a picnic by the lake, and then took the short walk to see the Petroglyphs, or K'ak'awin. Petroglyphs are rock carvings, and these ones are of mythical creatures based on the local wildlife, and were made by the First Nation people in the prehistoric era. We don't really know how old they are.
We also had a quick pitstop at an area of rock pools and waterfalls by the road, the rock pools were full of Toad tadpoles!
Last stop before the hotel, was a walk through Pacific Temperate Rainforest where we saw Pacific Wrens, which are more feisty then our ones at home. We also saw Black Oystercatcher and Round-Leaved Sundews in the bog and Whale blows out at sea.
When we got to our hotel we saw a belted kingfisher from the soaker tub on our balcony.
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