West Coast Expeditions
Spring Island V0P 1J0 Kyuquot, BC, Canada

Thanks Shelley McEwan for sharing this detailed story - one of the most thorough compilations of recent studies and reports. Yes, the recovery of sea otters in Kyuquot and now the BC coast has been pretty much in sync with the same period that WCE has evolved! Fun to see that the lead image for this article, and some of the other images were taken by Isabelle Groc while with us. For me, it’s been fascinating to witness this over the past 25 summers, and a treat to be close neighbours for the last 10 summers with one of the largest rafts of male sea otters on the west coast! The associated intertidal diversity in nearby tide pools is indeed noteworthy.

We love this recent watercolour painting, "Realm", inspired by the wisdom and serenity of an ancient cedar in Clanninick Creek. This is in a spectacular estuary that we frequently visit by kayak, floating into the forest and shifting worlds from the swell of the open ocean - following the path of the salmon and being enveloped by the forest. Peggy Woods art continues to draw from when she joined us almost 20 years ago. Thank you Peggy for keeping in touch and letting us know about this piece! We're currently confirming our schedule for summer 2021 and look forward to again exploring this realm with our guests. Let us know if you want to be one of the first to know once next summer's trip schedule is available for bookings.

This COVID-19 period will be but a nano-blip in time, yet have profound impacts that continue to define how we see, interpret and interact. Thank you Indigenous Tourism BC for this gentle video, supporting the range of business and community decisions through this period.

"Right before they hit the rock, they slightly twist the shell so that their right hand is the one that's really smashing it on the rock"...go figure!

Regardless of whether the stars align for guided adventures with us this summer, it was a treat to share and reflect just now with Cathy Scott through Departures Travel's "Departures Lounge"! Thank you!! Join us here for a reflective conversation, images, and video that help to give a glimpse of what we deeply treasure, hold with reverence, and love sharing. Image credits: Gordon Ross, Isabelle Groc, River Road Films, Artica Studios Photography, Chase Teron, Freedom in Nature Photography

Social distancing sea otters (with napping included). To learn more about all the incredible things sea otters do, read my latest non fiction book, Sea Otters: ...A Survival Story with foreword by Dame Judi Dench and David Mills MBE, published by Orca Book Publishers and just released this week! Aimed at children 9 to 12, can be read by everyone. Purchase online on Orca Book Publishers website or any of your favourite bookseller!

Chase Teron and Jenni Lisacek of Artica Studios Photography in Nanaimo joined us last year, produced our website banner video, and are currently 'stuck on safari' in Namibia! Though it looks unlikely we'll be able to proceed with their scheduled photo tour with us this August, those interested in wildlife photography may enjoy this recent article about their unusual adventures and endeavours. Not ones to sit still, they're creating a downloadable in-field wildlife photography course that will soon be available!

Exciting news from Isabelle Groc who’s joined us several times and collaborated with us and our friends/family in Kyuquot for articles, images, photo tours and background perspective for this book! Congrats on the release! We look forward to reading it!

For those in our extended WCE community and family, amid the many pressing concerns and uncertainty these days, we’ve also stepped into further supporting various important initiatives in our community and world. One that we’d like to share with you especially while families are at home are the fantastic tools (developed over the last decade by a classmate from 35 years ago) through Great Parenting Simplified. This features free online resources with an expert speaker... series April 27th - May 8th, and the option to purchase downloadable access and even ongoing individual or group coaching supports for parenting. WCE has always been focused on the family scale, so while not together on an adventure with us right now, we hope that some of you find supportive positive connections and experiences through these resources that apply to much more than parenting! Please share with your family, friends, colleagues, and communities!

We look forward to when it’s next appropriate and possible to share experiences together with you, family, and friends at our second home on Spring Island! Until then enjoy this high level view before we get to #ExploreBCLater together, on the water, in the forest, along shorelines, around the campfire, surrounded by wildlife, and immersed in a remote cultural setting - reconnecting in person!

2.5 min. Wildlife Break: We're delighted to share this exclusive, stunning, documentary-quality compilation from the west coast of Vancouver Island, depicting rich coastal ecosystems that are uniquely shaped by, and dependent upon, sea otters and coastal wolves. During our daily outings we frequently see sea otters and other marine creatures, and learn about their contributions to coastal renewal as part of biodiversity and ecosystem health. We do our best to view all wild...life from at least a 100 m distance using binoculars or a spotting scope, to minimize disturbance. Sometimes they get curious and come closer to us! We are also occasionally treated to viewing or hearing coastal wolves, or encountering their prints or scat on shared trails or sandy shoreline areas. The wolves are elusive, appropriately staying separated from our human activity. They are meanwhile spectacular to watch on an opposite shoreline, blending perfectly with the backdrop while investigating what the last high tide delivered, or the low tide reveals. If you want to see more footage like this check out the 5-part "The Wild Canadian Year" series for CBC's "The Nature of Things: https://www.cbc.ca/wildcanadianyear/. The whole series is incredible but more details of the wolves’ and otters’ story can be seen in the SPRING episode. Thank you to the team at River Road Films, and Producer, Jeff Turner, for generously helping us to compile this short video so that we can further share part of this rich coastal story. #ExploreBCfromHome #ExploreBClater #ExploreBC #ExploreVancouverIsland #ExploreCanada #IndigenousTourismBC #SeaOtterCoast #stayhome #plankthespread

2.5 min. Wildlife Break: We're delighted to share this exclusive, stunning, documentary-quality compilation from the west coast of Vancouver Island, depicting rich coastal ecosystems that are uniquely shaped by, and dependent upon, sea otters and coastal wolves. During our daily outings we frequently see sea otters and other marine creatures, and learn about their contributions to coastal renewal as part of biodiversity and ecosystem health. We do our best to view all wild...life from at least a 100 m distance using binoculars or a spotting scope, to minimize disturbance. Sometimes they get curious and come closer to us! We are also occasionally treated to viewing or hearing coastal wolves, or encountering their prints or scat on shared trails or sandy shoreline areas. The wolves are elusive, appropriately staying separated from our human activity. They are meanwhile spectacular to watch on an opposite shoreline, blending perfectly with the backdrop while investigating what the last high tide delivered, or the low tide reveals. If you want to see more footage like this check out the 5-part "The Wild Canadian Year" series for CBC's "The Nature of Things: https://www.cbc.ca/wildcanadianyear/. The whole series is incredible but more details of the wolves’ and otters’ story can be seen in the SPRING episode. Thank you to the team at River Road Films, and Producer, Jeff Turner, for generously helping us to compile this short video so that we can further share part of this rich coastal story. #ExploreBCfromHome #ExploreBClater #ExploreBC #ExploreVancouverIsland #ExploreCanada #IndigenousTourismBC #SeaOtterCoast #stayhome #plankthespread

Eyes wide open: fresh history, vital perspective and essential actions from remote/rural and largely Indigenous communities. High resilience. High exposure and vulnerability. High stakes in these iconic bastions of rich cultural and biological diversity.

Chief Robert Joseph is a treasure across nations and cultures. I appreciate his profound message here.