Download - WaveLength Paddling Magazine

More documents

Recommendations

Info

of the bay and stopped on the surface, surrounded by her children. Springer grabbed one last fish from her pen and went free. As soon as she was guided out of the net Springer’s voice rang out and she sped towards Simoom, only to stop short and bury herself shyly in a kelp bed. Simoom also seemed unsure and backed out of the bay. Our hearts fell when Springer moved out of the bay towards a log. The next morning Springer was still alone. She came over and attached herself to my boat. With the permission of the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO), I took her to her family. Springer called while swimming alongside me and her family turned around and approached us. When we got close I stopped, and as Springer drifted at my side, matriarch Scimitar came to us. The next thing I saw were the rapid fluke prints of Springer fleeing to the north. Scimitar and the others had remained absolutely silent, and Springer had likely been taught that a silent whale was a dangerous whale—a transient mammal-eater that she must avoid. All that day the wild whales and the orphan milled about in Blackfish Sound, always separated by a kilometre or more. The wild whales were faced with a dilemma. This baby was speaking their dialect, but where did it come from, was it real and who was it? In typical orca fashion they studied We specialize in Kayaks, Rentals, Sales, Lessons and Gear. We also offer many different courses to get you out on the water safely, including Wilderness First Aid. Give us a call or drop in! info@IslandOutdoorCentre.com www.IslandOutdoorCentre.com 610 Oyster Bay Drive Ladysmith, BC 250-245-7887 the situation. While at any given moment the whale movements looked random, they circled A73 cautiously, trying to learn as much as possible without vocalizing and thereby inviting her into the pod. At 6:30 pm the wild whales entered Johnstone Strait. Whale protocol demands they vocalize when they enter this body of water. Springer heard them and that was her cue—she raced after them. She announced herself as she entered Johnstone Strait and flung herself into the group, spyhopping and rubbing. Thus I learned that sound is more important to whales than vision. The sight of Scimitar had scared Springer, but her voice had beckoned. The next morning Springer was dropped off by the same whales and deserted in a kelpbed. She spent a terrible day going up to boats and many thought she would have to be recaptured. The next morning I encountered the three brothers that are the A36s. They were sleeping until they heard Springer. She woke them up and they approached and began feeding enroute. Springer sped towards them and they didn’t miss a beat. No breaching, no excited vocals. It seemed fine with them that this baby came out of nowhere and joined their group. They were such ‘guys’ about this unprecedented event—no fuss. Springer headed south with them into Johnstone Strait, skipping among them. RENTALS • TOURS • INSTRUCTION Expert service since 1990 Nanaimo, Vancouver Island BC Step off the BC ferry and into a kayak Ph: 1-800-529-0142 250-753-3234 seakayak@island.net thekayakshack.com Jim’s Kayaking • Sunset Paddles • Custom Tours • Day Trips • Lessons Let experienced Lead Guide Jim Demler show you the waters around Gabriola Island. 250-247-8335 cell 751-5887 www.JimsKayaking.com jamesdemler@shaw.ca Then the most amazing thing happened. Over 100 whales came steaming in from the west to form the biggest superpod ever recorded in July. They swept over the brothers and their young charge, and Springer, who had shaken off her transmitters by now, was lost among her own kind. Twenty-four hours later, Graeme Ellis of DFO radioed us that he had found her with young A51. A51 is Sharky’s daughter of the A5 pod. Sharky had died when A51 was eleven and her little brother was two. A51 is now sixteen and she seemed to adopt Springer. On two occasions Springer wandered off towards boats and A51 retrieved her. Then the mass of whales took the baby and went back to the west. Over the next few weeks we saw Springer with several different whales. She was seen with her grandmother, Kelsy and we heard a report of a young whale approaching boats. It appeared Kelsy was letting this baby wander too much. Then Springer found the twelve year-old daughter of her Great Aunt. It might be that Springer has become a target of young females wanting to “play house”, but it might also be that she is gradually homing in on where she best belongs. Her first adoptive mother possesses a dialect with more variation than the young female she swims with now. The best fit vocally is her grandmother, but Kelsy has not excelled as mother, and Springer might want a cosier fit. For now this story ends on a positive note, but we won’t really know Springer’s fate until next summer. When the pods fragment for the winter, she will have to make a good selection, because she will no longer be able to move as easily from group to group. Her new family will have to share the meagre resources of winter with their little tag-along. Springer, like all young animals, is a work in progress. Her delivery back to the wild whales has been a remarkable collaboration among people who have often been in conflict over other issues. She is a sign of hope. ❏ © Alexandra Morton (RPBio) is a marine mammal scientist and writer in British Columbia’s Broughton Archipelago. wildorca@island.net Visit her new website at www.raincoastresearch.org. Be sure to read Listening to Whales, Alexandra Morton’s amazing life story. Ballantine 2002. ISBN 0-345-43794-2. It’s a fantastic book and will make a great gift! 34 www.WaveLengthMagazine.com October/November 2002
Web Paddling Follow the Sun For those of us above the 49th parallel, around about October and Novermber we find our minds starting to drift down those magical lines on the globe, to lines of a lower number that offer us dreams of sun and adventure. Just the talk of it and I am drifting down Costa Rica way.... Hey, snap out of it, Ted. Back to work. Right. Now where was I...? WaveLength knows this phenomena, of course, and it has become a tradition that at this time of year, we feature exotic destinations from around the world. This year we have put together a Winter Getaways Directory for those who wish to dream, or those who have decided that this is the year to turn dreams into reality. The Directory can be found on the next two pages of this magazine. Better yet, the web version includes hot links to take you ‘virtually’ to these tropical locations. Just go to the WaveLength Home Page and “Follow the Sun”. You can take your choice of visiting locations we cover in this issue’s articles— Chile, Brazil, Cuba, South Africa, Baja—or some we don’t—Fiji, Tonga, New Zealand, Thailand, Honduras, Costa Rica. Plus some of the many places in between. Ted Leather, the WaveLength Webmaster, operates Clayrose Internet Creations, an internet services company specializing in website design and management (ted@clayrose.com). Ted Leather www.WaveLengthMagazine.com Most of these websites have luscious photos and intriguing offerings, and many will have useful links to other great spots. Before long, you’ll have a pretty good idea of what’s out there for you. And a glance outside your window this fall and winter will answer the question “why”. So what are you waiting for? EcoInterpreter Training in Natural and Cultural History Local workshops Custom developed programs Rod Burns, B.Ed, CPHI BOLD POINT CENTRE Quadra Island, BC Ph/fax: 250 285 2272 bph@connected.bc.ca Stay in your boat! It’s safer than an exit and re-entry. Use a Backup kayak righting aid for the safest self rescue other than a real Eskimo roll. Safe in seconds, not minutes. • you grab it • it inflates immediately • you lean on it and sit up • compact, straps to any kayak • CO2 powered, reusable • over 80 lbs. of buoyancy Roll-Aid Safety Inc. P.O. Box 72005, Vancouver, BC V6R 4P2 (604) 224-4010 Fax (604) 224-4045 www.roll-aid.com Patented. October/November 2002 www.WaveLengthMagazine.com 35
Page 4 and 5: Editorial Editor Alan Wilson Assist
Page 6 and 7: On our way to the 'Swinging Bridge'
Page 8 and 9: Gordon Robinson photo Santiago de C
Page 10 and 11: Global Adventures photo Their brand
Page 12 and 13: Dancing With Dolphins Two very diff
Page 14 and 15: Johan Loots photo Sea Kayaking Cape
Page 16 and 17: Brazilian Beaches Brazil is a count
Page 18 and 19: Floating on the Sea of Cortez One b
Page 20 and 21: www.WaveLengthMagazine.com over 1,0
Page 22 and 23: from land could inundate sensitive
Page 24 and 25: Paddle Meals Mmmmmmm Magic Cascadin
Page 26 and 27: Rapid Descents Winter Whitewater Wh
Page 28 and 29: Rental Fleet SALE From the Rainfore
Page 30 and 31: self. Over 80% has already disappea
Page 32 and 33: To your right as you travel up the
Page 36 and 37: Winter Getaways Directory 2002-03 A
Page 38 and 39: UNCLASSIFIEDS RENTALS, TOURS, LESSO
Page 40 and 41: Business Opportunities CHILEAN PATA
Page 42 and 43: COMMENTARY by Alan Wilson & Laurie
Page 44 and 45: If you want to be listed on the Wav
Page 46 and 47: NEWS cont. (CTHRC), in partnership
Page 48: cont. page 50➞

Download - WaveLength Paddling Magazine

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?