Telegraph Cove - Robson Bight
Sat.-Sun. August 22-23, 2009
Three of us pulled out of Campbell River by 06:30 Saturday morning for the approx. 2 hr drive north to Telegraph Cove.
We were in the water by 10:00...had rained all morning on the drive up and the launch.
Bad news, we have been monitoring the commercial tour channel (vhf) since arrival and find out there are no Killer Whales in the area.
We get on the water, rain stopped...and there was a slight breeze from the SE.
We also know that things can change in a matter of a couple hours with whales, so we turned south out of the Cove and dawdled along the shoreline working on our strokes/technique.
Passed Kaikash Creek (marine access) Campground...nobody there at all!
We proceeded to our 'Secret' Pocket Beach site...where we experienced Killer Whales rub right in front of us last year...and set up camp.
Vhf tour reports still had the Killer Whales out of the area...we figured 'What the Heck', might as well go for a paddle before dinner, and headed south to Robson Bight.
When we reached the boundry we noticed a lot of 'Splashing' just south of us, and proceeded in that direction.
By the time we recognized it was Dolphins (Pacific White Sided Dolphins)...it was like they spotted us...and just like 'That', they were all around us...hundreds of them.
Jumping, playing, under us, around us...what a show!...for over an hour!
We were the ONLY people on the water in the area, we had them to ourselves.
The next morning we again monitored the vhf...still no whales in the area.
While packing up...like it was 'On Cue', the Dolphins show up in the Strait in front of our beach.
We were on the water at 10:00 to sit through another show.
This time, it seems, they are willing to get even closer to us...what a morning....sunny skies and not a whisper of wind.
For an hour and a half we sat drifting north while the Dolphins put on another show. We even experienced what best could called a 'Cavalry Charge'...they all swam up the Strait about a 1/4nm, turned, and on-mass charged at top speed right threw us!
For me, that's 3 years in a row for spectacular shows...the 1st year it was paddling with a Humpback, and having a pod of Killer whales go through me on the same trip...last year it was hanging with a pod of Killer Whales for over 2 hours, and having whales rub on a beach right in front of me...this year the Dolphins.
The pictures just don't do justice in regards to the numbers of dolphins.
During Friday night's show, I got lucky to snap this shot with Brent and a couple of frisky dolphins.
The 'Cavalry Charge'.
All 3 of us would scull so we could put our faces in the water...they seemed to like getting eye-ball to eye-ball below us (3-4ft).
Here's Paul having a look.
Brent ended up suffering a big 'Ice Cream Headache'...
Paul trying to get a picture...they're quick little buggers.
OK, I can't see very well without reading glasses, so I had trouble trying top find/read the little buttons and menu on my camera for the Video mode.
I finally got it half way through Sunday's show and got some footage.
My first YouTube production...
Forgive my 'Commentary'...I did say "there must be a thousand of them", of course that was a little exaggerated.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EW2GRSJHTGI
