As a kid, I was scared of the water.

Growing up on the prairies, I was never around lakes or oceans. They were intimidating.

Sea monsters, slimy weeds, and certain death were my main concerns.

Luckily, after 6 years of living in BC, I’ve grown to understand – and appreciate – what lies beneath the waves. I’m learning to time the tides, ride the waves, and most recently – identify the sound an orca makes as it breathes.

The photos below are from a kayak trip Mike and I took with Spirit of The West Adventures. Our basecamp on West Cracroft Island is what dreams are made of. Tents on platforms with views of the ocean, an outdoor dining hall with a steady flow of coffee, and a wood-fired hot tub perched on the rocks.
.
From this base, we kayaked, hiked and swam. We learned about the sea monsters that lived below the surface, and how to cook and eat the slimy weeds. We were even blessed with the appearance of the Northern Resident Killer Whales – complete with a newborn female calf in the A1 Pod!

We lived in the fresh air, and travelled by water. We watched the fog rise off of the Strait every morning and witnessed the sun set behind the mountains every night.

And aside from the 8-degree polar dips (and the odd Lion’s Mane jellyfish), I wasn’t scared at all.