Spring Arrives in Pat Bay

WOW! Got up this morning and it seems that finally Spring has officially come to the West Coast. So after helping Robyn cutting the moss (LOL) for the first time, I decided to give the truck its annual bath before loading the kayaks in hopes of taking to the waves later in the day. But first we celebrated Robyn's step father's 80th birthday and her step sister's 54th birthday today with a nice luncheon at her mom's house. It was nice to see the extended family as we don't usually get to see each other throughout the rest of the year.

Planning ahead we took our kayak gear with us so after the festivities were over we could change into our water duds and scout North Saanich for a put in location. With the winds coming from the NE we figured the Brentwood side of the peninsula would be our best solution so we made our way to Patricia Bay. Not to be disappointed the winds were calm and the warm sun was unbelievable for the soul. Prepping the yaks we decided that this was the perfect day to shed some of the winter wear that we have become accustomed to.

Heading north looking towards Cowichan Bay on the left and Saltspring Island on the right.

The last time we paddled in Pat Bay we noticed that there was a good number of seals present around the Canadian Coast Guard docks but this time they seemed to be pretty much everywhere we looked. It would be safe to say that there was at least a couple dozen and they were really curious about us. Paddling our way north they started following us occasionally making a big splash right behind our kayaks. Maybe they thought we had treats for them but that would be wrong feeding them. I can only imagine what would happen if we offered one of the critters something and only to have another couple dozen trying to get some from us. 

While enjoying the antics of the seals we spotted some pretty aggressive splashing just ahead of us and as we slowly  paddled on a large pod of porpoise crossed our path. Coming to a stop we watched in amazement at our first interaction with porpoise while in a kayak. From a safe distance I managed to capture the special moment on my GoPro Hero 2. Note: If you want to experience the video in HD click on the YouTube button where it can be viewed in different levels of quality. 

We made our way to Deep Cove and at around 5:00pm we decided to head back to the put in location as the sun was slowly descending in the west. It was sure nice to be paddling this late into the day and if this is what good weather paddling is all about then count us in!! As expected, our seal friends joined up with us on the way back so we came to gentle stop and just watched them for a few minutes as some of the larger ones snorted and splashed around us. 

A curious seal approaches Robyn in the setting sun. What an afternoon on the water!

It wasn't a long paddle in terms of time on the water but the warm sun and marine life re-energized us. Tomorrow we are heading to the Gorge Waterway to explore with Kayak Yak. It promises to be another great Spring day.......... Happy Paddling where ever you are!