VANCOUVER ISLAND

Vancouver Island, as a place of natural beauty is an incredible place to be.

Ogden Point is where I completed my Instructors Cerification in 1999 and is home to some of the finest, most accessible scuba diving in the Pacific Northwest.

There are a number of entry points along the breakwater which allow entrance at a wide variety of depths, but the farther you go, the harder it is to get there with a dive tank strapped to your back on the walk out. However, the farther out you go, the greater the variety of sea life, like this wolf eel at right, found at marker four.

Recently, we completed a series of ecologically oriented panels geared at providing education to the local public and the 400,000 Cruise Ship visitors which visit Victoria annually. As a Member of the Board of Directors of the Ogden Point Enhancement Society, we created their web site this year and the series of panels through the collboaration of many individuals and businesses.

The Sidney Pier

Nestled on Vancouver Island's Saanich Peninsula, a scenic 30-minute drive from beautiful downtown Victoria, The Sidney Pier Hotel & Spa anchors the coastal community of Sidney-by-the-Sea. Their guest rooms and suites offer the perfect blend of contemporary style and comfort, while the Haven Spa is a rejuvenating sanctuary focused on inner and outer beauty.

With moderate year-round temperatures, Sidney-by-the-Sea offers something for everyone. Adventurers can take in whale-watching or sailing charters. Cycle the Galloping Goose trail or go sea kayaking. Explorers can mingle with locals at the market, chat with fishermen on the pier, or tour a nearby winery. And browsers are just a flip-flop stroll away from over 100 boutique shops, bookstores and artisans.

Race Rocks

Race Rocks is a Vancouver Island Marine Park off Metchosin. Cody, Yim and I rented a small boat one day to go check it out and were confronted by hundreds of Stellar Sea Lions and HUGE males. I mean monstrous when they are 20 feet away from you and 'mooing' at you to leave. A great day trip. Rent a boat for the day at Pedder Marine.

Cortes Island

We traveled to Cortes Island this spring to visit Gorges Harbour. Nestled at the entrance to enchanting Desolation Sound, tranquil and friendly Cortes Island is one of the most impressive of the Discovery Islands, with its placid lakes, beaches, and rugged gorges.

Located between Campbell River on central Vancouver Island and the mainland coast of British Columbia, the Discovery Islands dot the intricate waterways in some of the most spectacular scenery in the world.

Campbell River

Nestled on the east coast of central Vancouver Island, and long known as the Salmon Capital of the World and more recently as an adventure and eco-tourism hub, Campbell River is a natural destination choice, in more ways than one.

Capture the spirit of Campbell River...stroll in sea breezes on Discovery Pier and you might see a salmon, eagle, or whale. Take in views of Discovery Passage, Quadra Island and, in the distance, the rugged Coast Mountain range of mainland British Columbia. Explore trails along Campbell River's namesake, a designated British Columbia Heritage River. Restore your soul amidst streams and lakes in forests kept green by the mild Pacific Coast climate.

Craigdarroch Castle

Craigdarroch Castle is a beautiful historic Victorian-era mansion, built in the 1890s by wealthy BC coal baron Robert Dunsmuir. It is now owned by the Craigdarroch Castle Historical Museum Society and almost totally funded by its 150,000 annual visitors.