Lovekin Rock at Long Beach

Early in the sunset the sky over Lovekin Rock is a mix of pale blues and salmon. It gets better! There’s something about a wet beach at sunset that I just can’t get enough of. Over the course of the summer I check the tide tables and try to find days when the sunset coincides with a low or dropping tide. …

Union Bay Coal Hills

Large chunks of black rock on the beach at Union Bay are remnants of the area’s historic use as a coal shipping terminal between 1888 and the 1960s. Pilings are other evidence of historic industrial activity at Union Bay. I’ve lived in the Comox Valley for some time now but have never walked out into the coal waste hills at …

Serene Schooner Cove Sunset

Looking west at the setting sun at Schooner Cove in Pacific Rim National Park Reserve. Yellow Sand-verbena (Abronia latifolia) in the foreground amongst the drift logs. Schooner Cove in Pacific Rim National Park Reserve is one of my favourite places on the west coast of Vancouver Island to visit. It takes a little longer to get to (about 30 to …

Comber’s Beach on the Foggy West Coast

Out here in Ucluelet and Tofino they call it Fogust—the month when the fog seems to roll in overnight and it sticks around for most of the day. Sometimes it burns off by 11 am, sometimes by 4 pm, sometimes it doesn’t burn off at all. Photographing the beaches in Pacific Rim National Park Reserve can be challenging with this …

South Beach Slow

I’m not sure why more people don’t visit South Beach in Pacific Rim National Park Reserve—it might be that I’m usually out there off peak hours, but this summer I’ve rarely seen more than a half-dozen people walking the curve of gravel beach each time. It is a relatively easy 800m (about 15-20 minute) walk from the parking area but …

Wickaninnish Beach – BC Skywatch #11

Well folks, another SkyWatch Friday has rolled around. This Friday, Wickaninnish Beach near Tofino and Uclulet is the destination of choice! Located on the West Coast of Vancouver Island, British Columbia the sandy beaches in Pacific Rim National Park Reserve are known for their spectacular sunsets (when it isn’t foggy or raining!). While Long Beach is usually the primary stop …

Comber’s Beach Sunset – BC Skywatch #10

Sunset at Comber’s Beach It’s been a while since I’ve posted a series of Skywatch images but this Friday I walked from Wickaninnish Beach to Comber’s Beach in Pacific Rim National Park Reserve. Various combinations of sand and water and sky presented themselves and changing the camera position slightly revealed different patterns and textures. It was one of the uncommon …

Halfmoon Bay – BC Skywatch #9

Rocky islets and wet sand in Halfmoon Bay. Yesterday evening I headed down to Halfmoon Bay in Pacific Rim National Park Reserve to catch the late evening light. This beautiful little sandy beach has a great north-west orientation and lots of little rocky islands and silohuetted trees for sunset photography. Access to the beach is via Willowbrae Trail. Park at …

Oyster Bay – BC SkyWatch #7

Oyster Bay Sky #1 I’ve stopped in at Oyster Bay on my way through several times this week for a quick look for birds and to admire the setting sun. Oyster Bay is on the east side of Vancouver Island but the sunset lights up the Coast Mountains across the Strait of Georgia making for some dramatic skies. I captured …

Courtenay Estuary – BC SkyWatch #3

During the dull gray days of November and December in the Pacific Northwest it is always a treat to get a sunny day. This week we’ve been fortunate with a string of clear (but cold) days and the sunsets and sunrises have been magnificent. The Courtenay estuary is a good place to watch the colour of the evening sky reflected …