The secrets of this earth are not for all men to see, but only for those who seek them
Posts tagged Whale-watching
Back to the Ice Age – Alaska Glacier Bay
Jan 26th
Had he been interested, Captain George Vancouver, who charted the waters of Icy Strait in 1794, could have seen all of Glacier Bay in about an hour. In those days, however, the 5-mile-long indentation in the 100-mile (160-km) long, 20-mile (32-km) wide, and 4,450-ft (1,350-m) thick Grand Pacific Glacier was considerably less intriguing than it became over the next two centuries. By the time John Muir reached the site in 1879, that indent had grown to about 31 miles (50 km) long and today, due to further melting, Glacier Bay now stretches about 72 miles (115 km). More >
Clayoquot Sound – British Columbia
Oct 4th
At Clayoquot Sound, on the west coast of Vancouver Island, land’s end is a ragged line of forested slopes plunging into the ocean. Its 1,000-square-mile (2,600-square-km) area supports the largest lowland temperate rainforest remaining on Earth. Islands, large and small dot the sound. Some have beaches piled high with storm-tossed drift logs worn smooth by water and wind, and bleached by the sun. Wispy clouds often swirl among the treetops.
Most visitors stay in or around Tofino, which has a wide selection of accommodations and facilities, including camping, beachfront resorts, B&Bs, and comfortable hotels and motels. Equipment rentals and guiding services are also available. Nearby Ucluelet at the southern end of the peninsula offers a variety of lodgings as well. More >
Hot Springs Cove – British Columbia
Oct 4th
Tucked away on a peninsula in the north-western region of Clayoquot Sound is Hot Springs Cove where 120F (50C) natural sulphur hot spring tumbles over rocky ledges into steaming pools, then into the ocean. Apart from a small marina about a mile away, the hot springs are undeveloped. Now, the springs are part of Maquinna Provincial Park and as such are protected from commercial development.
A water taxi will whisk you to the cove in just over an hour, but whale-watching tours using powerful Zodiac inflatables offer a more thrilling, fun and educational experience. Tour operators are knowledgeable about the gray whales’ migration paths, and if there are whales in the area they will find them. More >
