The Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) sees the $28.5 million buyback program as a way to enhance the economic viability of the commercial chinook troll fishery of the West Coast of Vancouver Island.

Somewhere in the distance I hear the blow hole . . . → Read More: The Whale Hunt]]> I am inside a dugout canoe, out passed the break line, rocking in the ocean. A fog bank has rolled in and I cannot even see the shore anymore. My skin is chilled and goose bumps are crawling up my bare back, shoulders, and arms.

Somewhere in the distance I hear the blow hole spray of a great whale. A creature 4 or 5 times the size of the canoe, and this crew will take it. I won’t look uncomfortable, or scared, around the other 7 men. They say I am a boy. But I am on a whale hunt for the first time. I am Nuu-chah-nulth.

Nuu-chah-nulth whaling village, late 1700s

About 300 years ago whaling was active and was a spiritual ritual and central to the Nuu-chah-nulth life and culture. Not only did a successful whale hunt provide food and resources for the village, it was also ceremonial to the people.

A crew of eight men would prepare in seclusion before the hunt. They would be connected physically, spiritually and mentally through bathing, meditating, and praying together.

“When we talk about whaling, it’s not ‘well, we are going to go whale hunting’. Whaling speaks to the spiritual realm in a most important way.” – Barney Williams Jr., Tla-oqui-aht First Nation.

Spearing the whale

The whale submerges and the harpoon is thrust into its left side just as the canoe is manoeuvred to approach it from the rear. The enormous creature contorts its body from side to side, struggling against the harpoon. The boat gets knocked to one side, the crew all lean to even it out, and it gets hit by the whale again, nearly capsizing. My hands feel like ice as I steady myself on the side of the canoe.

The whale moves away from the boat as the crew throws out the seal skin floats that were attached to the rope. The water begins to calm. I know the harpoon was thrust properly and it wouldn’t be long before the beast will pass. I know it is my time.

Completely prepared for this task I dive into the icy Pacific Ocean. My entire body shot with pain from the instant cold as I swim to the dead whale. Holding onto it where ever I can, wrapping my legs around its head I find the start of its massive mouth at the base of its jaw. Then with my needle made of bone I begin to sew the whales mouth shut. The wind blasts against my wet body, splashing water that feels like ice into my face.

Finally, I am finished. I swim back into the dugout canoe, pick up your oar, and with the other men, begin to tow the whale back to the village. It will not sink now that its mouth is tied shut. My body is freezing but my blood pumps hotter than ever. I am a hunter. I am strong. I am a man.

When we arrive back to the shore I see a celebration was already underway. People from the village down the coast have come to join in the festivities. My crew is victorious and the providers of the village. Now it was time to butcher the whale.

The chief is first to remove his portion, a section near the dorsal fin. Then he hands out the rest of the meat and blubber to the families in the tribe. We offer up thanks to the whale for giving up his life to provide this bounty for our people. Meat, fat, oil, bone, sinew…we will use it all.

The Nuu-chah-nulth were one of the few groups on the Pacific Coast whaled. Whaling is essential to Nuu-chah-nulth culture and spirituality and when the Europeans arrived it was the foundation of their economic structure.

It is reflected in stories, songs, names, family lines, and numerous place names throughout the Nuu-chah-nulth territories. It strengthened and preserved cultural practises, unwritten tribal laws, ceremonies, and teachings. All of these elements were amplified in the month spent bathing, praying, and fasting in preparation of the hunt and in the following celebrations.

The whale strengthened the relationships because everyone was involved in the processing of the whale, the celebrations, the feasting, and the carving of the artifacts that can still be seen today in many museums around the world. Everyone shared in the bounty of the whale. And the whale strengthened the people spiritually, psychologically and physically.

“Once the whale was cut up there was just the carcass. The bones were kept for different things. Like in our case, we kept the rib. The idea was the last whale that our family got, that they wanted to keep on of the major ribs to remind us of a legacy that was part of our family.”

- Barney Williams Jr., Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation, on the last whale taken by his great grandfather on Easter Sunday, 1904.

Nuu-chah-nulth whaling village, late 1700s

Written by Amy Hancock

Source: http://www.ucluelet.travel/blog/nuu-chah-nulth-history-whale-hunt

I have been watching it for years, peering down at me every single day. . . . → Read More: Ucluelet’s Mount Ozzard]]> “We will start hiking at daybreak!” she said. It is a little less impressive this time of year with the sun rising just before 8:00AM, but still, to do anything at daybreak on a Sunday is an admirable feat.

I have been watching it for years, peering down at me every single day. It stands across the bay, tall and green, watching over the peninsula and all who reside on it. The large white radar globe can be seen from Long Beach.

“What is that giant golf ball thing on the top of that mountain?” People ask. Sometimes they get the right answer.

Mount Ozzard

Mount Ozzard towers about 750 metres above the Ucluelet Harbour. The white globe thing on the top is a coast guard communications station and can detect approaching vessels. Over the years I’ve watched the mountain across and up wondering what our little world looks like from its peak. I heard it was more of a walk than a hike and that the steep gravel access road winds its way right to the radar station.

The day broke and we were at the parking area just off of Barkley Main. The forest was frosty and we could see our breath as we started up the wide gravel road. It switched back and forth along the hillside, showing the occasional view of the Ucluelet peninsula as we walked higher and higher.

Barkley Sound

After about an hour and a half we made it to the peak and to the giant golf ball radar station. The view was stunning! On my left I could see the waters of Barkley Sound speckled with the Broken Group Islands. The mountain range spread out far along the coastline and my eyes could follow it almost to the other side of the sound. Behind me it continued until the mountain peaks grew higher, rockier, and were covered with snow.

On the right was the panoramic view of Ucluelet. There was our home, dotted in the rocky outcrops and spread out on the high points of the peninsula. The Ucluelet Harbour is larger than I thought it was from this angle. I could see the details of our boat basin, the fish plants, and all the way out to Amphitrite Point as commercial boats continued to putter in and out of the harbour looking like floating ants from my vantage point.

Ucluelet Peninsula

Beyond that we could see Florencia Bay, Wickaninnish and Long Beach. People had told me that you can see Tofino and Clayoquot Sound from there, but that day it was all in the clouds. There was a strong westerly swell coming into Ucluelet. We watched the white lines come in from the endless Pacific Ocean under it was time to return to the car.

The descend back to the parking area took about an hour. When we were back in the car driving home we spotted a curious Black bear crossing the road. We got into Ucluelet before 11:00AM and had a late morning coffee. What a feeling it is to hike up a mountain and back all before lunch time!

By Amy Hancock

Tips: If you are going to walk up Mount Ozzard make sure you bring an extra layer of clothes (it is quite frosty and icy on the backside of the mountain), plenty of water, and some snacks. Be sure to let people know you are going and never go by yourself. There are bears in the area so make sure you keep children close and dogs on a leash.

Source: http://www.ucluelet.travel/blog/mount-ozzard

Mike . . . → Read More: Ucluelet Salmon Ladder Derby 2012]]> Season tickets for the Ucluelet Salmon Ladder Derby are now on sale for just $35 until March 31st! Give the gift they’ll love: a summer of fishing to win thousands of dollars. Get into the true spirit of giving as you will automatically be donating to salmon enhancement on the west coast.

Mike Marriott, Todd Jennings, winner of the $7,000 top prize, Paul Grimston, and Brian Clarkson of the Ucluelet Salmon Enhancement Society

Thousands are rewarded to the top fish monthly. Then t1. $250,000 Hidden Weight Grande Prize!! Eligible participants will have the chance to match our pre-selected hidden weight on each day of the two-day Fish Off at the end of the season.

New for 2012

* A draw for FIVE Fish Off spots.

Your catch didn’t quite make it into the top ranks to qualify for the Fish Off? Next summer you will have the chance to win a spot in the Fish Off regardless of your fishes weight. Five anglers that ranked 16th through 50th place can win this draw that will take place in mid-August 2012.

* $250,000 Hidden Weight Grande Prize!!

Eligible participants will have the chance to match our pre-selected hidden weight on each day of the two-day Fish Off at the end of the season.

Debris from the Japanese tsunami

The province will launch a task force in January to lay out which agencies will be responsible . . . → Read More: Task Force to Manage Tsunami Debris]]> The BC government has created a task force team to handle the tonnes of debris from the Japanese tsunami floating in the Pacific Ocean that is expected to hit our shores.

Debris from the Japanese tsunami

The province will launch a task force in January to lay out which agencies will be responsible for millions of tonnes of debris from the Japanese tsunami that is expected to wash up on Canada’s west coast.

Julianne McCaffrey, a spokeswoman for Emergency Management B.C., said names are being forwarded from people across the province who will serve on the Provincial Tsunami Debris Working Group.

“We have a lot of jurisdictional issues to sort,” she said by telephone Sunday. “It’s not that there’s squabbling over jurisdictions; we just need to get everybody at the table.”

Much of that has to do with where the debris — which scientists say could begin washing up in 2014 — lands. University of Hawaii scientists said in October that 20 million tonnes of debris could make landfall in B.C.

“In most cases, the federal government has authority in the water and immediate shorelines, and in most cases the local authority becomes the lead if the debris washes ashore in areas above the high tide line,” McCaffrey added by email.

“Occasionally, in the case of hazardous or human remains, it becomes provincial jurisdiction — which has not happened, so we cannot speak to hazards or issues that do not exist.”

The March 2011 earthquake and tsunami devastated large swaths of coastal Japan, killing at least 15,000 people.

Read more: http://www.theprovince.com/news/launches+task+force+manage+coming+tsunami+debris/5909590/story.html#ixzz1hhRuTJTm

The awards, held Oct. 10, in New York City, gave the highest achievement to King . . . → Read More: Long Beach Lodge Voted Top Resort]]> With more than 270,000 votes tallied, the results for the 24th annual Condé Nast Traveler Readers’ Choice Awards are in. Named in the top three for Canada’s Best Resort is Ucluelet and Tofino’s own Long Beach Lodge Resort.

The awards, held Oct. 10, in New York City, gave the highest achievement to King Pacific Lodge, a resort located on Princess Royal Island, British Columbia, that starts about $1,583 per night, with Emerald Lake Lodge, also located in B.C., earning second place. In fact, it was a great night for British Columbia, whose resorts filled the top five positions.

“There are great quality resorts in this part of the world so it is very exciting to us that the readers have acknowledged Long Beach Lodge Resort in the top three,” says Long Beach Lodge Resort general manager Perry Schmunk. “We pride ourselves to be in this top three grouping delivering a great resort experience and, at the same time, offering it with great value with rates starting from $169 per night.”

Long Beach Lodge Resort is located in Cox Bay, located just 18 kilometres north of Ucluelet a and seven south of Tofino in an area known for world-class surfing and storm watching. The property includes eight acres of beachfront property, 41 lodge rooms and 20 cottages, a full-service dining room and lounge called The Great Room, a fitness facility called the Riptide Centre, a Surf Club Centre (new in April 2012), and an outdoor, covered barbeque area.

Catering to adventures of all types, from storm watchers and beachcombers to surfers and fishers, the resort has its own on-site marine charter company, Private Marine Adventures, and Surf Club — meaning guests never have to go far to fully experience the surrounding land and sea.

“We’re fully dedicated to creating your dream West Coast getaway,” says Schmunk. “Want to ride the waves? We have instructors and boards waiting for you. Prefer to curl up on a couch by the fireplace with a good book? We’ve created The Great Room, a cozy spot that offers great views of the ocean. Want to share your experience with us? We listen to the feedback you give online so we stay on the right track.”

With nearly 13,000 Facebook fans and 384 “excellent” TripAdvisor reviews, Schmunk is a firm believer in the power of online engagement, offering discounts and deals to loyal followers and encouraging guests to offer suggestions to the staff at Long Beach Lodge Resort.

“Social media is all about two-way communication,” says Schmunk. “Platforms like Facebook and Twitter give our guests a place to be heard, valued and connected with the resort whether it is a live webcam view of the surf or what our chef has just whipped up in the kitchen.”

According to Klara Glowczewska, editor in chief of Conde Nast Traveler, the “number and depth of responses” of the survey make this poll the most “reliable measurement of consumer preferences in the world of travel.”

“We have seen virtually nothing in the river, but there’s anecdotal information that there are fish in the inlet,” said . . . → Read More: Oil Spill Possibly Killing Salmon]]> Coho and chinook salmon are milling about in Saanich Inlet, but few have entered the Goldstream River and concerns are growing that residual effects from an April fuel spill could be keeping them away.

“We have seen virtually nothing in the river, but there’s anecdotal information that there are fish in the inlet,” said Peter McCully, manager of Goldstream Hatchery.

This spring, a Columbia Fuels tanker crashed on the Malahat, B.C., spilling 42,000 litres of gasoline and 650 litres of diesel, some of which seeped into the river, killing salmon and trout.

Coho and chinook are normally spawning in the river by the end of September, but, so far, only eight coho have been spotted, McCully said.

Between 1,000 and 1,500 coho are expected to return.

“What is holding them out there? Could they be repelled by the smell of fuel?” said McCully, who questions why the nearby Sooke River has good early returns of coho and chinook.

However, there could be other elements affecting fish behaviour, such as the number of seals in the upper inlet, he said.

“We just don’t know and Mother Nature has a wonderful way of confounding us,” McCully said.

“We are searching for any possible explanation of why we are not seeing the pattern we have seen in the past. We are certainly concerned, but all is not lost yet.”

The main Goldstream run of chum salmon does not usually enter the river until the third week of October.

At Goldstream Nature House, where an art exhibition showing the resilience of nature runs until Monday, manager Tracey Bleackley is hoping the fish will appear when water levels rise.

“We just don’t know. The fish rely heavily on their senses to find their way back to the river they were born in. Are they going to smell the river?” she said.

Beavers, which were active before the spill, have not been seen since, but it is not known whether the spill has anything to do with their disappearance, Bleackley said.

The popular river no longer has an obvious smell of fuel and the telltale sheen has disappeared in most areas.

But three trouble spots remain on the highway and a soil vapour extraction system will be installed next week by contractors hired by Columbia Fuels, said Graham Knox, provincial manager of environmental emergencies.

The unit puts soil in a vacuum, turning hydrocarbons to gas, which are collected in carbon filters.

Apart from the crash site, the two other trouble spots are where the fuel ran through old water courses and became stranded.

Ongoing surveys have not turned up any problems with species diversity, Knox said.

“All numbers look as if they are in the normal range,” he said.

A survey in August showed about 900 square metres of water was still showing a sheen, so fisheries crews from Saanich First Nations raked the gravel, Knox said.

“That was very successful and I don’t think any more work needs to be done on it,” he said.

Andrea Voysey, director of marketing for Columbia Fuels, which is responsible for the cleanup, said monitoring will continue for years, even though the Goldstream water is now clean enough to drink and the ecosystem is recovering.

“It looks good,” she said. “We want to make sure it is put back the way it should be.”

Columbia Fuels will not disclose the cost of the cleanup.

However, Knox said the figures are likely to eventually made public.

“It’s not something that will be kept secret,” he said.

jlavoie@timescolonist.com

Read more: http://www.timescolonist.com/Fears+fuel+spill+legacy+hang+over+salmon/5524769/story.html#ixzz1aJSx5c20

The Garbage derby wrapped up last weekend with Jamie’s Whaling station taking home the trophy for most garbage . . . → Read More: Ucluelet Aquarium News]]> The construction crew has spent the last couple weeks installing beams on the developing structure of the new Ucluelet Aquarium. Walking past the site these past few days conjures images of old forest.

The Garbage derby wrapped up last weekend with Jamie’s Whaling station taking home the trophy for most garbage collected by a business. Jesse Vedova, one of Jamie’s’ drivers, towed in a freezer and filled it with collected garbage, fishing floats and other oceanic debris. Matt Harbidge and Kane Edwards collected together to bring home the individual prize. These two drove out to a remote beach in the sound where dogwalkers, runners and beach combers can’t add their efforts to keeping it clean. Thank you so much for your efforts!

Thanks also to Zoe Jewell, and Jordan Odney for your help, and to Garth Grimes, Seamus Little, Jason Hasz and Keanna Hasz for your efforts!!!

The sea lion, which was named Flash Gordon, had a large amount of fishing tackle, including a flasher, hanging from its mouth when it was rescued Ucluelet Aquarium staff.

The 200-kilogram . . . → Read More: Ucluelet Aquarium saves sea lion]]> A California sea lion that was rescued with a fishing hook and tackle embedded in its throat has been returned to the wild.

The sea lion, which was named Flash Gordon, had a large amount of fishing tackle, including a flasher, hanging from its mouth when it was rescued Ucluelet Aquarium staff.

The 200-kilogram California sea lion was spotted by locals along the shore near Ucluelet with a 30-centimetre fishing flasher hanging from its left cheek, according to a statement issued by the Ucluelet Aquarium.

Vancouver Aquarium staff visited the island to help capture it with the Ucluelet Aquarium staff and the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, and then transported Flash to their center in Vancouver where he spent five weeks being treated and recovering.

“After a series of diagnostic testing, a hook was located in the distal esophagus at the level of the heart and was successfully removed endoscopically,” said a statement released shortly after. Flash was eventually returned to Vancouver Island where on October 5th he was released and quickly departed into the wild Pacific ocean.

Enjoy the video!

The Tour de Rock made its way to the West Coast this weekend as part of their two-week cycling fundraiser.

Riders made it across Highway 4 from Port Alberni to Ucluelet on Saturday, . . . → Read More: Tofino and Ucluelet raise $31,000 for Cancer]]> Tofino and Ucluelet residents raised over $31,000 through numerous community events for Cops for Cancer and the Tour de Rock.

The Tour de Rock made its way to the West Coast this weekend as part of their two-week cycling fundraiser.

Riders made it across Highway 4 from Port Alberni to Ucluelet on Saturday, covering 102 kilometres and hilly roads.

The 22 cyclists were welcomed by the communities who held local fundraising efforts for Cops for Cancer.

Ucluelet mayor Eric Russcher welcomed the riders on during the Cops for Cancer day hosted by the Ucluelet Co-op.

About $10,000 was raised by Ucluelet residents for the cause.

Later that evening, the RCMP hosted a Regimental Ball, raising $9,000 for Cops for Cancer.

On Sunday morning, the Tour de Rock riders made their way up the coast to Tofino.

Tofino residents raised over $12,700 through several community events.

Darren Forester, a volunteer for Canadian Cancer Society, thanked the community at the Tofino pancake breakfast held at the Legion Hall.

“It’s communities like yours that support the tour and make it happen,” said Forester, a former rider who has been involved with the society for ten years.

Since 2008, the tour has raised over $15 million for pediatric cancer research and children’s programs such as Camp Goodtimes.

“Research doesn’t only find a cure, but it also helps children survive cancer with less side effects. It helps them live a more full life after they survive,” said Forester.

Among this year’s riders is RCMP Cst. Rochelle Carr who once served in Tofino. She said her excitement to return to the West Coast is what helped her overcome every difficult hill.

“For me, it was the excitement of getting here that got me through the hills,” she said. “I had butterflies in my stomach I was so excited.”

But it wasn’t the shared feeling among other riders.

“A lot of people have said they think that was the hardest ride we’ve had so far on tour,” said Carr.

She said the training, which began in March, paid off during the weekend’s ride.

“I think that I was so excited to come that at every hill, it seemed like we were that much closer.”

Carr was stationed in Tofino between 2007 and 2010, but frequently returns to the area.

Her involvement with the tour goes back to her days prior to being an RCMP officer.

“I’ve always loved working with kids. Prior to the RCMP, I was working in day cares and I taught swimming and worked at summer camps,” she said.

“I’ve just always really liked working with kids and this cause directly benefits kids so I wanted to help out.”

Helping out required a big commitment, but Carr said it was all worth it.

Riders are halfway through their ride now, as they continue their tour to their final destination in Saanich on October 7.

“I think it will be bittersweet to finish,” Carr said. “I’m definitely going to miss the team and visiting the communities.”

By Yasmin Aboelsaud, Westerly News