Tonquin Beach ~ Tofino

Tonquin Beach is a secluded little beach within easy walking distance of the Tofino's town centre. Many visitors miss this beautiful spot in favour of the more famous windswept beaches further south of town. This beach, and the walking trail leading to it, is a wonderful escape.















Tonquin Beach is named after the 19th century American trading vessel Tonquin. In 1811 the vessel sank nearby after what has been termed a "trading altercation" with the local indigenous people. It was serious enough that a number of the First Nations people boarded the vessel and killed most of the 35 member crew. The following day they returned to the vessel and apparently a surviving crew member ignited the powder kegs on board, killing himself and all the local people who had come aboard. The ship sank without a trace and the wreck has never been recovered.

Today, Tonquin Beach is a relaxing place close to town. Without the waves of Long Beach there aren't really any surfers here. Instead it's a place for relaxing; a beach for dogs, kids and fishers. A place for romantic sunsets too, if only the fog would lift.

All photos copyrighted 2013 by 
Jim Murray.

Bald Eagles in Clayoquot Sound

While staying in Tofino last week, we saw several Bald Eagles. One took up its post near our cabin, keeping watch for an easy meal of fish from the inlet.

We know the plumage of the adult: evenly dark brown with a white head and tail. Males and females are identical in colour, and differentiated only by the fact that the female is 25 per cent larger than the male. 

Plumage of an immature Bald Eagle resembles that of a Golden Eagle: a messy kind of brown with white streaks covering the bird from head to tail, until its fifth year when it becomes an adult. These photos show an immature Bald Eagle in flight. 

All photos copyrighted 2013 by Jim Murray.

Cathedral Grove

Cathedral Grove is one of the most accessible stands of old-growth forest left in BC. Only 16 km east of Port Alberni, along Highway 4, it is a remarkable place to visit.

The Grove is only 157 ha in size, and resides within the 300 ha of MacMillan Provincial Park. Cathedral Grove contains a stand of ancient Douglas Fir, some of which approach 800 years in age.














In 1944, H. R. MacMillan, donated 136 ha to the provincial government "for the perpetual enjoyment of the public in recognition of the unique stand of trees."  The donation was made after years and years of refusing to discuss the possibility of preserving what had already become famous as Cathedral Grove.

In 1997, on New Year's Day, a severe windstorm changed the park forever. Hundreds of trees were toppled and much of the park's trail system destroyed (some have not yet been re-opened). The fallen trees are of significant value as they open the canopy to provide light, shelter and nutrients for the new growth.






















About 1 million people visit the park every year, and there can be an initial sense of congestion : cars and people. That being said, it only takes a few moments to find peace and solitude, and it is worth every minute.

Photos by Jeem. Copyright 2013 by Jim Murray.

The Falls of VanDusen Gardens

We walk around VanDusen Gardens about two or three times a week. The Gardens are a backyard of sorts for us and we enjoy seeing the changes week to week. We also hear from visitors about the falls. The falls seem to be on every tourist's list of things to see while visiting the Gardens.








There is a tropical flair on the way to the falls at VanDusen; the ferns are nearby and they conjure up thoughts of a more primitive time in a hot and humid rain forest.




























The falls at VanDusen are perhaps 12 m in height, and possibly 2 m wide at best. They are apparently fed by... a municipal water source. Not that there is anything wrong with that.





I remember some other falls, at Argentina's border with Brasil, where we spent more than several days earlier this year. The Garganto del Diablo, at Iquazu, is 82 m high and 150 m wide. It was hot and steamy and everything was wet beyond belief. It was an adventure.



And yet, so too are the falls at VanDusen. The sound of water falling on rocks and the mist in the air, is not unlike Igauzu, and it's slightly closer to home.




You can see some photos from the other falls here: Iguazu Falls

Sunflowers, bees & Colony Collapse Disorder

I think sunflowers are beautiful. They come in several colours, grow incredibly tall, and offer their seeds to birds and other creatures. At VanDusen Gardens, the wonderful sunflower garden is full of bees.

Bees are truly wonderful creatures. They produce honey, a pure food if ever there was one. They also pollinate a multitude of plants. Through pollination, they are, quite possibly, essential to life on this planet. In fact, according to the UN, of the one hundred crops responsible for providing 90 percent of world food needs, seventy-one are dependent on bee pollination. Bees are certainly essential to human life.

Over the past six years, more than ten million bee hives have been wiped out due to something called Colony Collapse Disorder. Investigations continue into the cause of the problem with increasing concern about the use of pesticides and fungicides.

This past winter thirty percent of bee colonies in the US were wiped out. In the UK, almost half of their hives were lost. In Canada, thirty percent declines have been reported annually for the past three years.

CCD has been going on for years with slightly increasing media coverage each year, usually involving the economic impact of the crisis. The crisis is much larger than that and all of us should be aware of the problem. Citizens can make a difference, by making informed decisions when shopping, and in demanding more oversight by our governments in the use of agricultural chemicals .



A recent article in the Globe & Mail is worth a read, as is the weekly series just beginning in The Guardian. It is called Buzzfeeds and appears every Tuesday.

All photos copyrighted by Jim Murray. 

Reproduction, without permission , 

is prohibited.