We've had a chance to do some fun things on the water during our time here in Victoria.
One day we went kayaking with Kelp Reef Adventures on a 3 hour tour which left from Fisherman's Warf. It was kind of crazy to paddle across a busy flight path for the seaplanes as well as all the other boat traffic! We waited our turn to cross and then went over to see some seals and their new pups. Seeing their heads pop up all around us to check out what we were up to was pretty great. Our guide also pointed out some other cool marine life (star fish, spider crabs, oystercatcher, heron, sea otters) as we navigated our way around. We loved seeing the downtown inner harbor from this viewpoint.
Our guide told me about a couple of different beers I might find around town that are made with kelp... so of course I had to find them later and try them! The color of this one was astonishing and tasted like a light sour beer. I couldn't taste the kelp at all.
Another day we took a three hour ride on an amazing wood Sailboat that was built as a fishing vessel in 1939 in Norway. It's name is the Duen and there are only three boats still operating like this (one in Norway, one in CA and this one). It was used as a fishing boat off the coast of Norway and Iceland for 30 years. "During World War 2 it was was one of the many fishing vessels involved in the ‘Shetland Bus’ operation. The ship transported Norwegian nuclear scientists from German-occupied Norway to the Shetland Islands to protect their scientific discoveries and prevent them from being forced into service by the Nazis." In 1970 it was purchased, in Norway, by a young American couple who then sailed it for 15 years (they completed a full circumnavigation of the earth). They sold it to it's current owner (so only three owners!) who lived aboard and sailed it themselves for a while and then began sailing with students and teenagers in different programs as well as doing ecotourism trips. The lower interior is amazingly maintained and has been revamped over the years as its use and needs changed. The wind and temperature, during our trip, was perfect and Jordan had fun helping to raise the sails and steering.
I put on a harness and climbed out onto the front which made me feel like a pirate! Jordan grabbed a picture of me from the other side of the boat as he was steering when I made my climb.
Later he also had fun climbing out there. It was a pretty amazing experience while we were actively sailing!
Of course there's always watching others having fun in (and above) the water! It's truly astonishing to me to see the kiteboarders with their speed and the heights they reach when they jump. I am mesmerized, and slightly terrified, watching them (especially when they come in so close to the shoreline with all the driftwood).
Here's a compilation, Jordan created, of some of the clips I took while out watching them.
August 2022
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