Tofino Waterscapes

My two favourite beaches are Chestermans Beach (particularly the southeastern beach, which is unspoiled by the present Wickaninnish Inn) and Long Beach.  The weather systems come and go off the Pacific Ocean, particularly in late October when we like to visit (right after Canadian Thanksgiving), and the amount and type of sunlight changes continually.  Both beaches are so gentle that one can walk great distances toward the receding Pacific Ocean during low tide.  However, this calm is beguiling, for storms arise which can be so strong that even the hardy local surfers leave their boards on top of their ancient vans.  During our four-day visit, we experienced beautiful calm during low tide, high winds during high tide (with logs washed up and blocking our entrance to Chestermans Beach), severe storm warnings to surfers, gentle west-coast rain, horizontal rain, thick fog, black bears on the golf course but well-fed on migrating salmon and fall berries, and a wonderful sense of isolation (tourists were gone).

Enlarge to see about 109 migrating Canadian geese heading to an inland bay at Ucluelet for the evening

A touch of light on the distant trees, wind-blown waves still safe for surfing.

Fog rolling in from the west (left), waves, high wind.  The spray reminds me of brother Mark's photos of blowing snow near the Atlantic Ocean.

Water churning from the storm, fog in distance, viewed from a high trail west of Ucluelet.

 

Idyllic calm, nobody in sight.

Looking southeast on Chestermans Beech during low tide.

Chestermans Beach, Tofino, B.C.

A late October sunrise (looking west from the living room windows)

Approaching the beach from the house through bushes which help hold the sand during the storm season.

The sand seems to stretch for miles as tides gently come and go.

The park has signs daily suggesting the relative danger from the waves to swimmers and surfers.

The setting October sun (rain came that evening)

The sun is nearly set (time exposure)

The sun draws attention to the wet sand as the tide recedes.

Kelp washed ashore. One artist weaves these plants into interesting baskets.

For more than a decade, we have tried to include an annual visit to Chestermans Beach just south of Tofino, B.C. Situated on the west coast of Vancouver Island, this is my favourite beach with dramatic tides, waves for surfers, and sand stretching out until it eventually gently drifts into the Pacific Ocean. The Wickanninish Inn is on the far northern part of this two-part beach, but is too expensive and reminds me of being in a big city hotel (but with far better views and access to nature). We prefer Judi's Seaside Cottage on the southern part of the beach. This rental is a quiet little secluded one-bedroom dwelling that gives absolute privacy, great views of the ocean through the trees (both from the deck and the living room), and immediate access by foot to the ocean (following a path through the bushes). We were there in late October 2008, during off season, so the beach was virtually abandoned, and on one beautiful sunny day the nearby 9-hole golf course had one other golfer, a bear and me (I wisely let the bear play through on the sixth hole).

The sunsets can be spectacular, colours depending on the constantly changing weather, but even sunrises can have interesting glows to the west as the sunlight plays off the mists rising from the ocean. The sand is constantly changing, sometimes being almost glassy-smooth, sometimes showing ripples from the ebb and flow of the tides. Washed up kelp reminds me that I know very little about the teaming life in our ocean.