Vancouver Island Kayak Adventure Sea Otters and Rainforest

Vancouver Island Kayak
Adventure Sea Otters
and Rainforest
JUL. 15 – 21, 2018

                     Immerse yourself in the wild
                     beauty of Vancouver Island’s
                     coastal temperate rainforest
                     In government surveys, nature lovers visiting coastal
                     British Columbia rank seeing a sea otter near the top of
                     their wish list. After a 40-year absence, these photogenic
                     furry marine mammals with their endearing whiskery faces
                     were reintroduced into Canada in the late 1960s. Since
                     then, their numbers have exploded and the project is a
                     conservation success story like none other in the country.

                     The kayak adventure to Vancouver Island is based on
                     Spring Island with sea otters as one of the principle
                     focuses of the trip. We’ll see these engaging animals
                     every day, sometimes foraging in waters just beyond
                     our waterfront safari-style tents, and at other times
                     in the kelp beds through which we will paddle.

The wilderness shores of the Mission
        Group Islands, to which Spring
        Island belongs, is a true kayaker’s
        paradise peppered with a multitude
        of uninhabited island jewels

    But this is more than just a deluxe camping trip to       Near the camp, about four kilometers by
    view sea otters as we enjoy daily kayak outings, it’s     water, is the small and remote community of
    also an immersion in the wild beauty of the coastal       Kyuquot, home to the Kyuquot-Checleset First
    temperate rainforest. The wilderness shores of            Nations (Kyuquot pronounced “kie-you-kit” and
    the Mission Group Islands, to which Spring Island         Checletset pronounced “check-le-set”). The
    belongs, is a true kayaker’s paradise peppered with a     Spring Island camp is on Kyuquot land, and is
    multitude of uninhabited island jewels. The protected     operated collaboratively with the First Nation.
    waters feature quiet coves with deserted beaches,
    tide pools filled with multi-coloured ocean life, rocky   One highlight for groups that visit Spring Island is
    islets where barking Steller sea lions — the largest      a traditionally prepared salmon barbeque where,
    sea lion in the world — haul out in noisy groups, and     around the fire, we learn about the local Aboriginal
    regal bald eagles soaring overhead. There is also the     culture and their strong connection to the sea
    chance of spotting a hungry black bear flipping rocks     and the ancient forests that cloak the islands.
    along the shoreline or watching a humpback whale
                                                              If you are interested in discovering a beautiful
    breach in an exuberant display of health and power.
                                                              little-known corner of our country, feeling the
    In July, the temperatures along coastal Vancouver         satisfaction of paddling in a pristine wilderness,
    Island are warm and comfortable with a majority           and glimpsing some of Canada’s greatest
    of days being sunny with light winds and calm seas        wildlife treasures, then this is a trip for you.
    — the perfect combination for novice paddlers.

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Orientation
The orientation course will consist of a single             JULY 20 After a half day of exploring tide pools,
evening, Wednesday, July 11, 7:00 - 9:30 p.m., at the       hiking or kayaking we return to Fair Harbour after
University of Calgary campus. Topics for discussion         lunch by private water taxi and make the 5-hour
will include the ecology of the temperate rainforest,       return van trip to Courtenay where we enjoy a dinner
one of the most fertile landscapes on the planet. As        together at Locals Restaurant, and overnight once
well, we’ll explore the general biology, behaviour and      again in The Old House Hotel. (B, L, D)
ecology of the sea otter. Subjects of additional interest
to the instructor include the natural history of coastal    JULY 21 Return to Calgary.
wolves, black bears, bald eagles, and Steller sea lions,
and the biological complexity of the intertidal zone.       Accompanying Instructor
                                                            Dr. Wayne Lynch is an internationally-recognized
Itinerary                                                   naturalist, science writer and professional wildlife
Included meals are shown following the daily itinerary.     photographer. His photo credits include hundreds
B: Breakfast, L: Lunch, D: Dinner                           of magazine covers, thousands of calendar shots,
                                                            and tens of thousands of images published in over
JULY 15 Direct, 1 ½ -hour, non-stop flight from             70 dozen countries (waynelynch.ca). He is also a
Calgary to Comox. Dinner at Locals Restaurant, and          popular guest speaker, and audiences worldwide
overnight at the Old House Hotel in Courtenay. (D)          applaud his practical and entertaining approach
                                                            to natural history. As well, he is the author and
JULY 16 An early morning private van transfer from          photographer of over 60 natural history books for
Courtenay to Fair Harbour on the northwestern               children, young adults and adults. He is an elected
coast of Vancouver Island. The trip is a scenic             fellow of the Explorers Club and the Arctic Institute
5-hour journey with brief stops to stretch our legs,        of North America, and his biography has been
with a packed lunch en route. Once we arrive in             included in the Canadian Who’s Who, published by
Fair Harbour we take a private water taxi to our            the University of Toronto, since 1996.
wilderness retreat on Spring Island in the scenically
beautiful Mission Group Islands near the Aboriginal         Costs
community of Kyuquot.                                        Land, tuition                                   $3,650
                                                             GST on tuition                                     $35
The base for our daily outings is a well-established         TOTAL                                           $3,685
camp on a secluded island cloaked in giant rainforest        Single supplement is not available
trees. Guests are housed in high-walled tents, each
with an ocean view and tucked among the trees for            Estimated Air Travel                             $500
privacy. All the tents have wood-framed beds with
foam mattresses and there’s a communal hot shower           A deposit of $500 is required at registration.
to refresh oneself after an invigorating day in nature.     Final payment is due on Jan. 31, 2018.
A camp cook keeps the group well-fed with hearty
meals served in a large enclosed dining shelter,
but most days everyone prefers to eat their meals
around the campfire which is a welcome location to
review the many highlights of the day. (L, D)

JULY 17 - 19 Full-day and half-day kayak outings
and nature hikes to different destinations within
the Mission Group Islands, plus the opportunity for
a boat-based wildlife-viewing excursion that offers
an excellent platform for photography. The trip
is designed for novice kayakers and there is one
professional kayak guide assigned by the operator
for every five clients and all the kayaks are top-
quality fibreglass one- and two-person kayaks. Prior
to our outings the kayak guides give a thorough
safety briefing and basic kayak instruction to make
sure everyone is comfortable with their skills,
and will continue to offer supportive instruction
throughout the trip. (B, L, D)

Mail or fax your completed form to:

                                                 Personal information

                                                 NAME________________________________________________________

                                                 DATE OF BIRTH (MM/DD/YYYY) ___________________________________

    University of Calgary Continuing Education
    Travel Study Program                         HOME PHONE_________________________________________________
    Energy Resources Research Building (ERRB)
    N140, 3512 – 33 St NW                        WORK PHONE_________________________________________________
    Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2N 1N4
                                                 CELL PHONE__________________________________________________
    Fax: 403.284.9242

                                                 ADDRESS_____________________________________________________

    For further information contact:             ____________________________________________________________

    Heather Richards
    403.220.5052                                 EMAIL______________________ FAX______________________________
    heather.richards@ucalgary.ca
                                                 OFFICIAL NAME (As it appears on your passport):______________________

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