Tofino, Vancouver Island BC
28-30 June 98

Tofino is a small town halfway up the west coast of Vancouver Island on the north end of Pacific Rim National Park Reserve, about five hours from Victoria by car. It may have been a fishing village in the past, but now eco-tourism is the main business. The word is out about this beautiful and intriguing place: languages I heard spoken by others during my visit included Japanese, French, German, Dutch, Italian and Spanish.

• Sandy beaches - The most famous beach near Tofino is Long Beach, but campgrounds in the Pacific Rim National Park Reserve were fully booked. Bella Pacifica Campground, a private campground, takes reservations (and Visa!) and features a sandy beach which is every bit as beautiful and interesting. The facilities were excellent (flush toilets, coin-operated hot water showers, fresh water taps, garbage disposal) -- this could hardly be described as "roughing it"!
  

• Hot springs, Whale Watching - Remote Passages offers an action-packed, educational 6 1/2-hour eco-tour by zodiac. We were taken to sea caves where native chiefs were buried. We saw and learned about bald eagles, puffins, porpoises and sea lions. We were shown the still-visible environmental scarring left by clearcut logging that was done 30 and 40 years ago. We passed by fish farms and were told that aquaculture takes harvesting pressure off wild salmon populations but at the same time endangers them with pollution and the threat of antibiotic-resistant infection.

  Soaking in 'rays and hot water at Maquinna Hot Springs

  After a one-hour ride, we arrived in Hot Springs Cove and stopped at Maquinna Marine Park, #173 in British Columbia's system of Coastal Marine Parks, which are only accessible by water. The hot springs are an easy 2-km walk from the dock through the rainforest along a newly built boardwalk. Visitors have carved the names of their boats into some of the planks, quite elaborately in some cases!

  The hot spring waters emerge at about 50 degrees Celsius and smell of sulfur. A soak is thought to be of therapeutic value. You can stand under a hot waterfall, relax in a hot pool or sit on the shore and feel hot spring water mix with cold ocean water with each wave!
  

  Misty blowhole spray when coming up for air

  Showing some tail when diving down for krill

  On the way back, we saw a few migratory grey whales feeding on plankton in preparation for their trip to Mexico for calving season. We only saw the whales' backs and occasionally their tails, but that was enought to get an idea of their impressive size. Once an endangered species, the grey whale population has recovered to the point where some people want to start hunting them again.
  

  Hot peppermint tea was waiting for us at the dock at the end of the day -- a nice touch!

  

• Eagle Aerie Gallery, 350 Campbell Street, Tofino BC. Phone (250) 725-3235 or toll free in North America 1-800-663-0669.

  The building looks like a native longhouse from the outside. The displays inside feature the works of Tofino artists like Roy Henry Vickers, who is famous for his colorful prints.
  

  

• Sea kayaking - Remote Passages also offers half-day group sea kayak excursions. We were glad to have our guide Marc to navigate us through the thick fog that day! He took us to some beautiful beaches, told us about the plant and animal life in the intertidal zone, and led us on a leg-stretch through the rainforest to see a huge ancient tree.

  Marc (known as "Speed Bump" to the motorized boaters in the area) is an interesting fellow who left his home in Quebec many years ago for a summer vacation in BC and never went back! He escapes Canada's winter by guiding sea kayak tours in Indonesia.
  

  

• Beautiful sunsets - There's nothing between Tofino and the Pacific Ocean, which makes for spectacular sunsets!

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