This was published 12 years ago
Heads up, life rocks
Fiords that splinter the coastline near Vancouver are perfect for kayakers, writes David Whitley.
Nature's finest ... heading in the right direction on the fiord.Credit: AFP
FROM the end of the jetty, it looks as though there's something in the water. I point towards the disturbance of the ocean's calm surface and Peter Loppe shakes his head. "If it keeps its head above the surface for more than a couple of minutes, then it's not a harbour seal," he says.
He's right. It's a rock. And Peter should know – he's been taking kayaks to Indian Arm for nearly 20 years. Just 30 minutes' drive from downtown Vancouver, this glacier-cut inlet is a tranquil branch of British Columbia's most southerly fiord.
You don't tend to hear much about the Canadian fiords but, despite those blanket marketing campaigns, Norway doesn't have a monopoly on this front. A series of fiords splinters the Canadian coastline from Vancouver to the Alaskan border and there's a remarkable biodiversity contained within these craggy landscapes.
Part of this is due to the shallow soil of the surrounding temperate rainforest. When the rain comes – as it frequently does in this part of the world – waterfalls burst into life on hillsides, taking the soil with them.
The resulting nutrients end up settling in the fiord and allowing kelp to grow. This draws in the fish, which in turn draw the predators.
The elaborate ecosystem leads to some unusual survival strategies.
As we push off in our kayak, Peter turns the vessel to look at the wooden legs of the jetty. They're encrusted with mussels, way above the water level.
"Look how small they are," he says. "You'd never serve them in a restaurant, would you?"
Enormous tides of about five metres mean the mussels have to make a choice. Do they aim for the rocks and supports that are only covered by water for a few hours a day, thus not getting much food, or do they go lower and leave themselves at the mercy of marauding starfish?
On closer inspection, a clear hierarchy emerges; bands of colour spreading upwards reveal what lives where. Scores of purple starfish bob around in the water, while mosses and mussels compete for space above. At the higher levels, the barnacles hang out, while a seemingly barren black stripe seems to create a natural cut-off point before the Douglas pines take over the rocky mountainsides.
"The black bit is the splash zone," Peter says. "Freshwater dwellers can't live there because it's seawater and seawater creatures can't live there because the water doesn't often get there. That leaves only algae." You can, apparently, traverse the 243,000-kilometre Canadian coastline and see this for much of the way.
Fascinating though this is, I'd rather hoped there would be more to the wildlife aspect of this kayaking adventure than peering at shellfish and algae.
Luckily, the fiord also throbs with birdlife. The seagulls do their best to shatter the peace, ducks fly off in formation every time the menacing kayak approaches and Canada geese gracefully glide in pairs.
We spot one on the rocks, guarding a nest.
Peter explains that the male gets the raw end of the deal in the nesting arrangement. The males are generally more attractive and thus hubby's job is to stand slightly away from the nest, acting as a decoy for any passing birds of prey that might fancy munching on the chicks.
After a couple of hours spent paddling around the coastline, looking up at the still snow-doused mountains and steadily picking up sunburn from the reflections on the water, we pull over at the Twin Islands. Well, they're twins at high tide; at low tide, the narrow channel between them is a rocky land bridge.
We moor the kayak and scramble to a vantage point with splendid views across the fiord.
Peter whips out his miniature barbecue and sets to work on a three-course lunch: home-made salsa and dips, followed by grilled fresh salmon and potato salad, then strawberries and cream. It's an impressive feast considering the limited facilities. We chat about the history of the Vancouver area, from its history as a logging and fur outpost to major metropolis within 150 years, until Peter spots something in the water.
"A rock?" I venture, conscious of my earlier misidentification.
"No – look. It's a river otter," he replies. "Wow – I don't think I've ever seen one of them in here before."
On the way back we investigate less-natural additions to the fiord. A sprinkling of holiday homes dots the shoreline, each boasting its own jetty. Many properties can be accessed only by boat and there are a few curious gaps.
"That's where one burned down," Peter says. "They can't get fire insurance out here because the fire trucks can't make it."
But the harbour seals can and, finally, my fruitless rock spotting turns good. In front of us, a seal sticks its head up for a look, then follows up with his backside before plunging back into the water. And while swimming after him would be one way to explore the fiord, I suspect it's a little chilly in there. I stick to the kayak.
Trip notes
Getting there
Qantas flies from Sydney to Vancouver, priced from $2043. 13 13 13, qantas.com.au
Paddling there
A day's kayaking adventure on Indian Arm with Lotus Land Tours costs from $185 a person. Price includes lunch, wet-weather gear and pick-up from Vancouver hotels. +1 604 684 4922, vancouvernatureadventures .com.
Staying there
Top hotel picks in Vancouver include the arty Listel in the West End, from $C157 ($151) a night, 1300 Robson Street, +1 684 8461, thelistelhotel.com; and the beautifully refurbished downtown St Regis, from $C182, 602 Dunsmuir Street, +1 604 681 1135, stregishotel.com.
More information
David Whitley was a guest of Tourism Vancouver.
Sign up for the Traveller Deals newsletter
Get exclusive travel deals delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up now.