After a night of tossing and turning, I found myself waiting anxiously beside my harp that was to be loaded onto the float plane. I had never been on one before and had no idea what to expect. The pilot facetiously commented that he had to stomp my harp down in order for it to fit in the cargo, but all was well and she was gently strapped behind the tiny seating area that squished eight people in.
The takeoff was smooth and we were soon soaring above the collection of emerald green islands that reside along the east coast of Vancouver Island. The view from the window was spectacular, I kept grinning to myself as I was presented with sweeping views of the Coast Mountains. After approximately an hour and twenty minutes, I spotted the sharp angles of Hecate Island that I'd been staring at on Google Maps, and knew that we were soon arriving on Calvert Island. My stomach lurched as the pilot banked a very hard left to land in Pruth Bay. He made a smooth transition from air to water and we arrived at the dock of the Hakai Institute. We were kindly greeted by the staff who were taking the plane to go home after their shift. It was a flurry of unloading the cargo from the plane and we formed a chain to make quick work of it.
With my harp and leather duffle bag in hand, I walked to the accommodation building to put my things into my little room that will be mine for the rest of the season. The buildings reminded me of Lincoln Logs with their warm-coloured wood and red tin roofs. The location of the Hakai Institute is nestled on the northwestern corner of Calvert Island, surrounded by towering Western Red cedars and protected by large sandy beaches that border it.
The incredible whale skeleton hanging in Hakai Lodge. This juvenile humpback whale was found washed up on one of the beaches here. More on that amazing story later...
After doing some work I was eager to see a beach, so I walked on the luscious trail and could hear the rush of the ocean as I got closer. It was a cold and grey day but I felt like I could truly breathe when I emerged from the forest and onto the aptly named West Beach. The fine, cream-coloured sand stretches for a whole kilometer and makes you want to run and dance around in bare feet like a druid in a stone circle. There was not another human soul to be seen, only the sound of ravens and crashing waves filled my ears. I felt truly privileged to be standing in such a pristine place unmarred by humans. Or at least, the humans that do come here are respectful of the place. I headed back to put in some work and felt that even if I'm not doing the most glamourous job, I will work hard and enjoy every moment that I get to explore Calvert Island.
West Beach
Comments