Every year in late fall about 300 (yes I do mean 300!) Alison. “There’s not a lot of sleep around here,” says Jones. ... 2010-2020. “You get a 2,000-pound sailboat and when a 2,000-pound sea lion jumps on, and then his buddy gets on, you know which way it’s going to tip.”. Oceanfront Suites delivers a boutique hotel experience in the seaside village of Cowichan Bay. In the meantime, there are few quiet moments. I did not know about the large congregation of sea lions at Cowichan Bay during the salmon spawning—on my list now! There are other part-time and full-time residents of the marina that we care about and are responsible to. © Alison Louise Armstrong and Adventures in Wonderland – a pilgrimage of the heart, 2010-2020. We’re so lucky to have friends there that we can visit. Scores of residents and visitors alike take to the fishing wharf in the Bay to witness the smelly creatures lounging and barking. You could tell they’d been playing together for a long time. And indeed we are so lucky to live here. Mt Tzouhalem, four kilometres from Duncan is threaded with hiking trails. Share. The colours get really intense. Scores of residents and visitors alike take to the fishing wharf in the Bay to witness the smelly creatures lounging and barking. ( Log Out /  It looks so lovely in your pictures; the autumn foliage is simply stunning. Businesses along the town’s historic waterfront are cashing in. Alison. Hundreds of sea lions descended upon the waters of Cowichan Bay on Vancouver Island this fall. Alison, Infectious fun, surrounded by beauty, Alison. It was really heart warming to relive this time. fisherman who tossed 'bear-banger' at group of sea lions facing large fine. Alison. Alison, Loved everything but the singing clowns and the little elfish figurines scattered around the garden… both scare the hell out of me! Pinnipedia Sea Lions Each fall sea lions come into Cowichan Bay and haul out on the floating breakwater near the Government Dock. Thanks for taking me back! The band looks like so much fun, and so does the tea party! Wishing you a wonderful autumn. Well, autumn isn’t much in California and I hope I can catch a glimpse of it in Calgary soon! What starts as a cup of tea in the garden turns quickly into the Mad Hatter’s Tea Party since C just happens to have a collection of fascinators. Can’t get better than that. COWICHAN BAY -- By Larry Pynn, on November 29th, 2020. Your trips to Vancouver Island sound very refreshing. They arrive sometime in October and stay ‘til the end of the year and fill the air with their belligerent barking and roaring and disgusting body odour. Alison, Alison – You are such a wonderful teacher. Vancouver is a place that I have wanted to visit since I was a child and I read that it is a good place to see orcas. Sunny days are best, but even on a blue-grey day, the wide sea before us, and the foamy wake behind are enough to encourage a feeling of adventure. Beautiful photos to match your writing…I hope to make it back to Vancouver Island one day. Ocean EcoVentures Whale Watching, Cowichan Bay: See 1,124 reviews, articles, and 357 photos of Ocean EcoVentures Whale Watching, ranked No.1 on Tripadvisor among 15 attractions in Cowichan Bay. Change ), You are commenting using your Twitter account. “When one of these guys rips a hole the size of a Volkswagen bug in your net and they do it 10, 15 times a day it's not fun for us at all,” says Crow, who lives just up the road from the breakwater. They emanate such a contagious joythat we are all compelled to dance. 5pm News Anchor, CTV News Vancouver Island. Save Wessex Inn By The Sea to your lists. Kyoto’s Magical Mountain – hiking from Kurama to Kibune. Before you come, you need to understand that the marina deck and dock is not open for walking around and exploring. ( Log Out /  We begin with a hike through Sandy Pool Regional Park down by the Cowichan River. Above My Pay Grade: the joys and sorrows of photography competitions. The Brit royal family all wear them on special occasions – well the women do anyway. See 313 traveller reviews, 117 candid photos, and great deals for Oceanfront Suites at Cowichan Bay, ranked #1 of 1 hotel in Cowichan Bay and rated 4 of 5 at Tripadvisor. Love, love, love Vancouver Island. Now £69 on Tripadvisor: Oceanfront Suites at Cowichan Bay, Cowichan Bay. The dyke trail takes you out into the delta of the Cowichan and Koksilah Rivers: blue backwaters, lush green grasses, washed up logs bleached white with time, stands of tall trees, ever encroaching blackberry brambles, and Great Blue herons. And the ferries are the best! Article content continuedHowever, Andrew Trites, director of the University of BC's Marine Mammal Research Unit, said there is not enough evidence that Alison, Pingback: Saturna Island: unspoiled gem of BC’s Gulf Islands | Adventures in Wonderland. Alison. Another gang-related shooting in Lower Mainland, Feds chose not to buy 16M more doses of Moderna vaccine. Mercer estimates 500 to 600 visitors come each day, with shopping bags and coffee cups in hand. Hopefully next year you’ll be back to the regular schedule. I have friends who live on Vancouver Island but have only really spent a couple of days there many years ago. Hiding under bushes, behind miniature doors in tree trunks, sitting by the fountain on the edge of the small pond, swinging on the back porch, is a whole community of elfish and fairy beings, dozens of them, all hand-made by C. I’m sure they come to life at night. Jones estimates a large bull will consume between 90 and 140 kilograms of fish per day. Wishing you well as you partake in your outdoor festivities. This is the first summer I’ve truly been able to take in the lush greenery, lazy relaxation, and ponderous heat of where I am. Zoo hike photos are so nice…our Bigleaf maple leaves tend to get more brown than yellow. ... 2020. These two visits were last year. Always it seems our trips to Vancouver Island are such a lovely time out. What a delightful place! Thanks so much Atreyee. Barry Crow is the president of the Area D Gillnet Association and says his livelihood is in jeopardy because of the sea lions, and says it’s the largest gathering he’s seen yet. At various times throughout the day you can barely see any concrete on the 182-metre breakwater as the mostly male pinnipeds jostle and bark for position. Change ). Change ), You are commenting using your Google account. He looks great! Quite fantastic. Saturna Island: unspoiled gem of BC’s Gulf Islands | Adventures in Wonderland, Follow Adventures in Wonderland on WordPress.com, Vancouver’s Granville Island and Commercial Drive. But we are still close enough to appreciate their lumbering sea lion antics.The bigger ones eat about 16 kilos (35 lbs) of fish a day, and the Stellers weigh as much as 1000 kilograms (2,200 lbs). There is fun to be had! They don’t stand a chance. COWICHAN BAY -- You’ll hear them before you see them, and if there’s not much wind you’ll definitely smell them. It was Surati of course who told us about the sea lions. We’ve never been on a whale watching boat but have seen the orcas for free a few times while on the ferry going to the island. They come to feed on the coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) in the Bay which at that time are waiting to head up the Cowichan and Koksilah Rivers and the small streams around the bay to spawn.When sea lions are feeding in the Bay or the Estuary there is … We sit out on the deck overlooking the marina and the setting sun, full of peace and joy and good food. And other tales from Rishikesh, India, Saturna Island: unspoiled gem of BC’s Gulf Islands. And me too! Love the pictures of all the hikes, of course. Winter is coming. Don’s a natural isn’t he! I’m mourning the coming loss of all this. Perfect for those who love the ocean and a focus on community. The maples here are so bright. Travel guide resource for your visit to Cowichan Bay. We return to Vancouver Island in late October to see the sea lions. But it’s not all copacetic, resident Cheryl Trudell reports. Here is the briefest selection:Late afternoon we hike the Cowichan Bay Estuary Trail, a 4.2 kilometre (2.5mi) loop. See 315 traveler reviews, 117 candid photos, and great deals for Oceanfront Suites at Cowichan Bay, ranked #1 of 1 hotel in Cowichan Bay and rated 4 of 5 at Tripadvisor. Cowichan Bay’s floating breakwater is now a temporary home for sea lions. As you wander along Cowichan Bay Road you will smell fresh-baking bread wafting out onto the colourful street. Wish we could have gone this year And yeah, the sea lions were pretty amazing. Alison. We really missed it this year. ... 2020. Compare properties, read reviews, and book with confidence on Expedia. ... You might see humpback whales, orcas, seals and sea lions streaking through the water below your boat and bald eagles flying overhead. Book Oceanfront Suites at Cowichan Bay, Cowichan Bay on Tripadvisor: See 315 traveller reviews, 117 candid photos, and great deals for Oceanfront Suites at Cowichan Bay, ranked #1 of 1 hotel in Cowichan Bay and rated 4 of 5 at Tripadvisor. I’m guessing that perhaps it gave you more free time to luxuriate in summer, while I longed for it – it was not that hot here in Vancouver and we had quite a bit of rain so I was waiting for summer to come. LIVE: Update on spread of COVID-19 in B.C. It’s really special. That could only be done by boat, which is risky because the water is full of sea lions splashing about and chasing after the fish. They’re better than any bliss pill. Alison. We’ve lived in Van for many years, and have quite frequently visited the island. Reviewed on Aug 10, 2020. The band was a riot; they generated was so much joy. That’s what I call a perfect day – friends, live music and hiking. So sad we couldn’t go this year but some great memories. Last updated June, 2020. Posted by Alison and Don in Canada, North America, #WPLongform, 39 Days of July, Cowichan Bay Estuary, Cowichan Valley, Entangados, Mt Tzouhalem, Mt Zoo, Sandy Pool Regional Park, sea lions, Stoney Hill Regional Park, Vancouver Island. Also no trips to the island this summer. We set off the next morning slowly climbing a winding trail passing through forests of trees draped with moss, huge mossy boulders, a tangle of undergrowth, and almost hidden in decaying logs and leaves a small lizard.Eventually we reach the top of the ridge where the orange-barked arbutus treesstand resolute in the face of the winter winds, and look out over Sansum Narrows to nearby Salt Spring Island.Best fun ever: Entangadosplaying in a park in Duncan as part of the 39 Days Of July festival. Cheers- Susan, Thanks so much Susan. Not surprisingly, on the list of the ten best pubs in the Cowichan Bay area, the Cow Bay Pub comes in at number one. Fascinators? You’ll hear them before you see them, and if there’s not much wind you’ll definitely smell them. I’d not been there before and was completely blown away by all the fairy creatures. It has it’s own special energy that you just kind of sink in to. And of course once I knew about them I had to see them. It is a delightful place. And the tea party and C’s little beings spread around in her garden were all so much fun. Yes it is. ... Remembering the celebrities we lost in 2020. One of my fave spots too. Cowichan Bay is a unique and historic waterfront community on southern Vancouver Island. This year of course, there was no trip to the island, and only a virtual 39 Days of July, though no doubt the sea lions are still visiting. Loving fall so far – cool sunny days, though as expected we’ve had a couple of serious downpours. A rather large colony of Sea Lions hang out on the man-made floats just off the end of the Government Wharf. Oh, the third photo, perfect! Apparently the name comes from the word fasten, not because tiny hats that perch on your head are fascinating. Not surprisingly the local boaters hate them. A. I love the Mad Hatter’s Tea Party! “If this continues, there won’t be a fish left in this bay.”. My pleasure. The clown band was aaaaamazing – so much fun, and really good music. 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