I recently had the opportunity to demonstrate the Oar Board® Rower in Victoria at the Oak Bay Marina. I was totally amazed and excited to see how easily people were taking to rowing a standup paddle board and enjoyed letting everyone know how they can incorporate rowing into their lifestyle for fitness and fun.

It was a perfect, peaceful, summer day for an early morning, mid-afternoon or evening row.

The setting at the Oak Bay Marina is idyllic for getting out on the water, but you can launch your paddle board and Oar Board® Rower combination from just about anywhere. You are no longer bound to rowing only at a club and can now enjoy the freedom of getting out on your favorite lake, river or part of the ocean.

I was so touched to see how many fitness lovers and outdoor enthusiasts were really inspired by the idea of getting out on the water to test row the Oar Board®.

From Whitehall Rowing & Sail, we have supplied many water lovers with rowboats and sailboats over the years, and now more recently with the Oar Board® Rower and our inflatable standup paddle boards, we are helping to get more and more people out enjoying the ocean and lakes.

During the demonstration day, many people shared with me that they were surprised and amazed and how lightweight and easy it is to use the Oar Board®. They were excited to imagine getting out and rowing with family and friends around Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands.

In less than 5 minutes the Oar Board® fit-on-top rower converts any paddle board over 10′ (3m) into a sculling boat.

And everyone really likes the idea of being able to take Oar Board® with them on vacation. The new Oar Board® inflatable standup paddle boards easily roll up into their backpack for transporting. And it is equally as easy to unroll and inflate Oar Board® standup paddle boards at your destination.

The Oar Board® is definitely a hit in Victoria!

I really love my job promoting fun, fitness, tranquility and connection with water and nature!

About Diana Lesieur
As the Oar Board® Sales Manager, Diana loves rowing, hiking and traveling to exotic places. She is a top notch all water rowing instructor and winner of the long distance rowing events in the R2AK 2015 and 2016. Diana is the go-to person regarding the Oar Board®. Diana says, “I love rowing and there’s nothing better than promoting what you’re passionate about!”

For more information about the Oar Board® Rower, inflatable standup paddle boards, paddles, oars and other accessories, contact Diana at:

Oar Board®
A Division of Whitehall Rowing and Sail
Phone 1-250-384-6574
Toll Free 1-800-663-7481
International 00+1-250-361-2621
Email sales@OarBoard.com
oarboard.com/oar-board-sup-combo-packages
oarboard.com/buy-now
oarboard.com/about-us
oarboard.com/contact-us

Each spring, some 20,000 Gray Whales travel passed the western shore of Vancouver Island, British Columbia, en route to their summer feeding grounds in the Bering Sea and Chukchi Sea. The Pacific Rim Whale Festival in the coastal towns of Tofino and Ucluelet kicks off an all-out celebration of the Gray Whale migration and life in general on the fabulous west coast of Vancouver Island!

The 30-ton giants can be seen from shore, as early as February, with females and calves passing by from mid March, through April and into early May. The whales are known to feed in the sheltered bays near Ucluelet beginning in March. The Pacific Rim Whale Festival, which runs from March 11 to 26, 2017 is all about the gray whales and marine life education, with whale watching tours, inspirational and interpretive walks, fun for children, culinary events, and First Nations cultural workshops. Come to Tofino and Ucluelet and experience this annual coastal tradition!

The Gray Whales return in the fall by the same route to their calving and wintering grounds in the warm-water lagoons of Baja California in Mexico. They usually travel faster and farther offshore than on the southbound leg of their migration. The 16,000 to 22,500-km round trip – depending on how far north they go – is one of the longest migrations of any mammal on earth. The whales travel throughout the day and night, and cover approximately 120 kms (75 miles) per day at an average speed of 8 kms per hour (5 miles).

• Whale Watching on Vancouver Island
• Pacific Rim Whale Festival
• More on Whales in British Columbia
• Federal Guidelines for Whale Watching
• Tofino, British Columbia
• Ucluelet, British Columbia

Sanford Williams has made it his life’s work to create art that echoes the past of the First Nations folk of British Columbia. Born and raised on the west coast of Vancouver Island in the remote village of Yuquot, also known as Friendly Cove, Sanford Williams was inspired by his relatives, notably his uncle, the late Chief Dominic Andrew.

Sanford Williams plaque displays in the lobby of Strathcona Park Lodge on Vancouver Island. The plaque depicts a human transforming into a wolf and killer whale, and was custom made with the Strathcona Park Lodge logo as the eye (top centre).

Once described as “the real deal”, Sanford still carves authentic pieces from his remote, beachfront shop using handmade materials, and he is also accessible from his off-season home in Hope on the BC mainland. Though his art has been found in dozens of galleries around British Columbia, Sanford Williams is an artist for the people, and loves meeting the public to carve custom-made pieces for them.

There are two sides to this sculpture. One side shows the live raven and the other side shows the spirit.

I want to maintain the beauty and authenticity of traditional West Coast native art, because it’s more than just my work— it’s my way of life.

By Marlana Williams
Sanford Williams Marketing & Sales

More Information
Website: www.sanfordwilliams.com

Photo Credit
All photos by Marlana Williams

Yuquot (Friendly Cove)
To get to Yuquot, view the Schedule of Day Cruises to Friendly Cove.

Sanford Williams’ masks used in a variety of dance pieces from Karen Jamieson Dance Company.

As a naturalist onboard our whale watching vessels, I often get a lot of questions about the otters we see in Victoria, British Columbia. Although we do have a healthy population of otters living around the rocky shores of Vancouver Island, most of these cute furry mammals are actually river otters adapted to living in salt water, rather than the true sea otters most people are familiar with. Although similar looking, river otters tend to be skinnier and less furry than their sea otter cousins, and spend much of their time running around on land as well as in the water. Over the past few years however, we have had the exciting chance to view true sea otters near Victoria, as an increase in their population has brought them closer to home.

Sea otters, (scientific name Enhydra lutris), have had a troubled past off the west coast of British Columbia. Due to their thick fur, sea otters became a major target of the maritime fur trade in the 18th and 19th century. By the early 1900’s, sea otters had become completely extinct in British Columbia, with only small populations remaining in Alaska and California. Today, however, the news on sea otters is much less grim. Due to a ban on hunting, and reintroduction of a small population back into British Columbia, the sea otter populations off the west coast of Vancouver Island have been slowly increasing. This year, during many of our whale watching excursions, we have had the amazing opportunity to view these adorable marine mammals close to Victoria.

Sea Otter hanging around in Bull Kelp of the West Coast of BC. Photo credit: Christine Roper

Sea otters are perfectly adapted to living in their cold water environment here off the west coast of British Columbia. Unlike their river otter cousins, sea otters spend almost their entire lives in the water, rarely coming onto dry land. In order to withstand the cold water in which they live, sea otters have the greatest density of fur of any mammal. Depending on the location on their body, sea otters can have as many as 170,000-1,000,000 hairs per square inch! Unlike many marine mammals such as seals and sea lions, sea otters have no insulating fat layer on their body to keep them warm in the water, therefore their amazingly dense fur serves to insulate them and keep them from becoming hypothermic. This thick fur needs to be clean however, in order for the insulating air layer to be maintained between the water and their skin. Sea otters can often be seen blowing into their fur and pushing it around with their paws, which traps the air in the hairs around their body and helps keeps them warm. An adult sea otter can spend up to 15% of their day simply grooming themselves!

When not grooming, sea otters spend a huge part of their day foraging for food. Their diet consists of a wide variety of organisms, including crabs, clams, snails, and sea urchins. An adult sea otter consumes approximately 25% of its body weight each day in order to maintain its high metabolism! Amazingly, sea otters are one of the few mammals on earth that utilize tools to help them feed; a skill that was once thought to be possessed only by humans. Sea otters can often be seen using rocks, driftwood, or even empty clam shells to help them break into the tough shells of their prey. While feeding, sea otters drift on their backs and use their stomachs as a “table” which they can hold their food on while they crack open its shell. Although tool use seems like a fairly standard behaviour for us humans, determining which tool will help the otter open its food requires forward planning, problem solving and learning skills, all linked to complex cognitive ability. Therefore, sea otters must have relatively advanced structures within their brain to make these connections.

Sea Otter off the coast of British Columbia, Canada. Photo: BritishColumbia.com

Not only are sea otters one of the most adorable mammals found in our ocean, they also play an essential role in their marine ecosystem. Known as a keystone species, sea otters have a greater effect on their environment than other organisms within that system. As predators within their food web, sea otters help protect important kelp ecosystems by controlling the abundance of herbivorous invertebrates such as sea urchins. Without predation by otters, sea urchin populations can grow so large they will devour the kelp forests. These forests are essential ecosystems because they provide an important habitat, nursery, and food source for many marine organisms. Therefore, sea otters play a direct role in the survival and protection of many other animals within its ecosystem. In addition, sea otters also play an indirect role in the reduction of carbon emissions into our atmosphere. By protecting the kelp from being entirely consumed by sea urchins, kelp forests are able to flourish and remove carbon, which they use for photosynthesis.

Although they are one of the smallest marine mammals we see in our area, sea otters are one of the most charismatic and well known animals in the Pacific Northwest. Their interesting anatomy and key role within their ecosystem also make them a popular mammal to study. Although sea otter populations are continuing to increase around British Columbia, they are not out of the woods quite yet. Anthropogenic – or human caused – events such as oil spills, fishing net entanglement, and habitat degradation are a serious threat to sea otters, and can have major impacts on their population. Conservation strategies such as increased net regulations and reduced chemical run-off from land are good first steps that can be taken to help protect these marine mammals. Nevertheless, we are thrilled to see that the sea otter population is increasing around Victoria, and hope this adorable new addition to our area is here to stay!

Written by Christine Roper, Naturalist
SpringTide Whale Watching & Eco Tours
1119 Wharf Street
Victoria, BC

Website: www.victoriawhalewatching.com
Phone: 250-384-4444
Toll Free: 1-800-470-3474

Featured Image (Top): River Otters on the coast of British Columbia, Canada. Photo: BritishColumbia.com

Sea temperature – nine degree Celsius. Neoprene. Southeast Winds. Tall spruce trees. Towering coastal mountains. All things that package together to create the little pocket of heaven on Vancouver Island’s west coast that is Tofino, home to some of Canada’s best cold water surfing.

It hasn’t always been that you could step out onto Long Beach or Cox Bay in Tofino on any day and see an ocean swimming with surfers. Only since the 1960’s, when the improving technology of neoprene wetsuits blended with the building of a road from the interior to the west coast, has surfing taken off in one of Canada’s most pristine and popular tourist destinations.

Pacific Surf Company began indulging visitors from far and wide in the sport of cold water surfing in 1998, and has been loving it ever since. Offering lessons, rentals, and shop merchandise year round, Pacific Surf Co. guarantees you the best west coast, cold water surf experience possible.

Cold water surfing popularity is on the rise globally, leaving many people around the world shaking their head and wondering why, or how crazy one has to be to dip into water recorded below ten degrees Celsius. Well, Pacific Surf Co. gives you four reasons why cold water surfing beats out the seemingly more attractive warm water surfing.

Colder water = smaller crowds.
It is true that getting into that thick wetsuit, pulling on a hood, boots, and gloves, will deter some of the usual crowd that normally would eagerly plunge into the ocean to try their chance at a wave. One of our favourite things about cold water surfing is the escape you can often find from the busy sea that warm water surfing usually attracts.

Stunning, more remote landscapes.
Our charming town of Tofino included, cold water surfing often hides in some of the world’s most beautiful, more remote, locations. Norway, Iceland, Northern Ireland, and yes, Canada, all offer stunning landscapes of tall trees, towering mountains, and addictive non-stop waves.

Forget about sunscreen (except maybe for your face).
Your wetsuit has many functions; one being to protect most of you from the sun’s powerful rays. No more worrying whether or not the white cream you carefully applied hours ago is going to last through your session. When you’re surfing in these parts of the world, all you’ll need is just A little zinc-based sun protection to take care of your face.

Meet the other, dedicated surfers just like yourself that are willing to brave colder temperatures.
Along the way, cold water surfing brings together amazing people who know the biggest secret of all in cold water surfing. You don’t actually get very cold.

Visit Pacific Surf Company online or at their store location in Tofino, British Columbia. You’ll find us on the right side of Campbell Street as you drive into downtown Tofino, next door to our friends at Storm Surf Shop.

Pacific Surf School
430 Campbell Street
Tofino, BC
V0R 2Z0

Phone: 1-250-725-2155
Toll-free: 1-888-777-9961
Website: www.pacificsurfschool.com

Photo Credits:
Top and Bottom Image: Robert Fiorella
Middle Image: Tucker Sherman

More information on Tofino, British Columbia.