Riding the Kelp

Tribal Drift (kelp beds off the Tribal Group, Central Coast)

In summer, kelp forests grow profusely on reefs and rocky shores all along the BC coast.

Normally when we’re travelling on our boat, we treat kelp as a warning sign. After all, those floating bulbs and blades mark the location of reefs, with “boat-eating rocks” often lurking just below the surface – so we carefully avoid getting too close.

But when we’re in our kayaks, it’s a different story: reefs are a magnet, and there’s nothing we like better than drifting through the kelp forests, looking down to see if we can spot schools of small fish or invertebrates such as hermit crabs amid this rich habitat.

Here’s a rather odd image I managed to capture from my moving kayak of a crab, taking a wild ride on a thick blade of current-tossed bull kelp. I can’t help but think of Aladdin on his magic carpet.

Wild Ride through a Briny Cosmos

Final reminder: if you’re on Gabriola Island I hope you’ll catch my solo photography show, “Coastal Journeys: 2000-2016″. It’s on until October 7 at the Centre Gallery (Professional Centre, North Rd.), open Tuesdays through Fridays 9 am to 4 pm. More details here.