When Deb and I explored Vancouver Island three years ago, we found two incredible campsites to pitch our tent at: one on the Johnstone Strait, and one on the Tsitika River. When we returned to Vancouver Island earlier this month, we hoped to return to both of those remote campsites as well as explore new […]
Marty’s photo of the day #5169: It took some work to convince the birds to line up in the yellow stripe, but they eventually complied. (Photographed earlier this month on Vancouver Island.)
While passing through Seattle on our way to Vancouver Island, Deb and I sat in a traffic jam. I was fuming. I like Seattle, but what had me upset was thinking about the huge push Elon Musk, Donald Trump, and other far-right billionaires are making to convince women to have more babies. Yeah, just what […]
Marty’s photo of the day #5168: Of all the many highlights of Deb’s and my Vancouver Island visit, the moments around the time I shot this photo were my favorite. We had pitched our tent at a remote campsite on the Johnstone Strait, and, like the two previous mornings, I got up before sunrise hoping […]
Salmon Day continues with a photo I shot last week near the mouth of a river on Vancouver Island. This is a small part of a large school that was waiting for the right moment to make the rapid, strenuous swim upstream to spawn.
Marty’s photo of the day #5167: The salmon were running in a river near one of Deb’s and my campsites on Vancouver Island. Most of the time I carried two cameras: my Canon R7 with a telephoto lens for distant shots, and my all-in-one Olympus Tough TG-7 for wide-angle and macro shots. I hadn’t planned […]
Marty’s photo of the day #5166: Deb and I have traveled all seven continents looking for rare and interesting wildlife and have seen creatures that look like they should be from another planet. These pelagic gooseneck barnacles, which Deb found as we were walking a beach on Vancouver Island, are the strangest creatures we’ve ever […]
Marty’s photo of the day #5166: Humpback at sunrise! Deb, Nellie, and I have returned to Montana after two wonderful weeks on Vancouver Island. Other than the usual unpacking ritual, today I will begin sorting through the many photos I shot on the trip. In the meantime, I grabbed this one more for the memory […]
Marty’s photo of the day #5165: Deb, Nellie, and I just completed three nights at what may be the most awesome campsite in North America. We found a private, one-tent-campsite right on the Johnstone Strait in the northern region of Vancouver Island. From our private beach, we watched numerous bird species, a sea lion, a […]
Marty’s photo of the day #5164: I just love the far northern, Port Hardy, region of Vancouver Island! I’ve explored all seven continents, and this is the best area for birds I’ve seen. One reason is because the tides here are so extreme. Some bays go from ten feet deep to hundreds of acres of […]
Marty’s photo of the day #5163: Two days ago, Deb and I watched at least ten humpback whales in the Johnstone Strait (off the coast of far northern Vancouver Island). Not all humpback whales flash their tails, so when they do, it’s always exciting. For a size comparison, look closely under the tail on the […]
Marty’s photo of the day #5162: Yesterday was a stunning day on Vancouver Island! Deb and I spent the afternoon on a boat, watching and photographing dozens of orca whales, at least ten humpback whales, plus sea lions, sea otters, eagles, and a variety of other animals. This was our first time seeing orcas in […]
Marty’s photo of the day #5161: The last time Deb, Nellie, and I visited Port Hardy on the northern tip of Vancouver Island, the many raptors cruising the tidal plain were the highlight of our stay. This time they are even better. Yesterday, I photographed a pair of bald eagles and this golden eagle holding […]
Nellie is chilling after a hard day. She got attacked by a swarm of yellowjackets, twice! Today Deb, Nellie, and I scouted the gravel roads at the top of Vancouver Island, looking for possible tent camping sites. The gravel roads there become intimidating quickly, as they pass through dense temperate rainforest, branch off here and […]
Marty’s photo of the day #5160: Vancouver Island has one of the highest concentrations of black bears in the world. The remote gravel roads have bear poop everywhere. Here’s our first bear. He’s a big boy!
Marty’s photo of the day #5159: Deb, Nellie, and I have reached the top of Vancouver Island (286 miles long by 62 miles wide). We just finished two nights of wilderness camping at our “secret spot” that we discovered during our previous visit (I have a hilarious story to share about our first night there […]
Marty’s photo of the day #5158: Hello from Vancouver Island! Deb, Nellie, and I watched a spectacular sunset last night. As we stood on the shore of the Johnstone Strait, watching the water and sky turn orange, this harbor seal kept popping up. Apparently, he/she wanted to come ashore for the night exactly where we […]
Marty’s photo of the day #5156: Today, I give you two animals-in-one. Look at the animal upright, and it’s a great blue heron. Turn your screen upside-down, and it’s the Lock Ness Monster. (Photographed in the Bitterroot Valley of Montana.)
Marty’s photo of the day #5155: I think squirrels are more intelligent than people give them credit for. Due to Nellie’s surgery for a second bionic leg, she has at least three more weeks of being restricted to leash walks. The devious little squirrels seem to know that and are braver than ever with their […]
