John Harvey Photo

Namu to Spider Anchorage

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It's 8:30 am in Namu and your boat leaves in an hour - what do you do?  Go for a swim!  We passed the old hotel, passed the school, passed the four houses that made up snob hill (and could make a nice bed and breakfast) and down the boardwalk to the lake.  There used to be a side path to a sandy beach but it's now overgrown.  At the end of the path is a pump house where water is lifted to provide water for the town.

Namu Water supply

Lake Namu

We took off our weather protection and jumped into the lake.  We swam to the sandy beach (perhaps 250 meters) and got out.  By the time we got out, we were used to the water temperature and the air was cooler than the water!  Back in the water we swam back, put on our rain gear and walked back to the boat.  A short warm shower later and we were under way to Spider Anchorage.

Spider Anchorage is in the Hakai Recreation Area - a largest marine park in BC.  The trip across Fitz Hugh Sound was uneventfull.  Getting into Nalau passage we saw how easily someone could get lost.  Jan told a story of once taking the wrong turn inthe passages and driving a boat just feet over rocks he didn't know where there.  Once we got past Stirling Island we were exposed to the open pacific and the swells that went with it.  I started feeling uneasy and went below to get some sleep.

Namu To Spider Anchorage Map

Spider Anchorage

Waking up in Spider Anchorage was like waking up on another planet!  The broken brown covered rocks at the ocean edge have been replaced by bright white cliffs that are sculpted into unending organic shapes.  The water in some places has been stained brown by cedar tanin.  The trees have look like they have been shaped by massive pacific storms.

Group of Seven

Kayaks in the Spider Anchorage

What a great place for Kayak!  We put the boats in the water and started Kayaking out of Fulton Passage towards Breadner Point on Spider Island.  We were facing pretty much open Pacific at this point so we were exposed to the ocean swells.  I got sick so reluctantly Ruth and I returned to the boat.

Jaques and Charles Kayaking

Coming back, we spent some time enjoying what was in the water - life!  A strong, rich current runs through the islands and the seaweeds have grown up to ride it.  We collected a few samples (Mike collected as well) - we have a bat star (in orange) a feather star (yellow) an Abalone (big brown mollusk) and a small geoduck.

Vermilion Star and Feather StarLive Abalone

Back at the Boat, Peter was busy fishing, but only caught small fish.   Mike went out for some salmon fishing and he (or rather the people on the zodiak) caught two pinks.

Peter Caught a Quillback Rockfish

Next: Cultus Sound



Lake Namu
Location: Go To...
Tags: beach, lake

Tags: coast, wave
Group of Seven
Tags: coast, kayaking
Peter Caught a Quillback Rockfish
Species: Sebastes maliger (quillback rockfish)
Tags: fish, fishing
Jaques and Charles Kayaking
Location: Go To...
Tags: coast, kayaking
Namu Water supply

Location: Go To...
Tags: coast
Kayaks in the Spider Anchorage
Tags: kayaking

Tags: kelp
Vermilion Star and Feather Star
Species: Mediaster aequalis (Vermilion Star), Florometra serratissima (Feather Star)
Tags: BC fauna
Live Abalone
Species: Haliotis kamtschatkana (pinto abalone, Northern abalone, Japanese abalone)
Tags: BC fauna
Tags: coast(4), kayaking(3), BC fauna(2), lake(1), beach(1), wave(1)
From: John Harvey Photo > Mid Coast of BC on the Curve of Time > Namu to Spider Anchorage
From: John Harvey Photo > John's Overnight Page > Mid Coast of BC on the Curve of Time > Namu to Spider Anchorage

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Last Modified Saturday, January 21st, 2023 at 23:38:43 Edit
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