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Kayaking with Spirit of the West

Monday, February 23, 2009

Killer Whales, Humpbacks and their future?

Doesn’t everyone talk about 20-year-old partially decomposed Blue Whales?!?

On Saturday November 29th, 2008 I (Breanne) attended, along with two fellow Spirit of the West guides, James Pilkington and Robin Hutchings, the 16th Annual BC Marine Mammal Symposium at UBC. This annual event gives researchers, various marine mammal interest groups as well as the general public a chance to discuss current research and issues surrounding Marine Mammals.

We listened to reports about everything from tiny parasites that affect marine mammals to giant blue whale skeleton reconstruction projects. There is a great deal of very interesting and exciting research happening on the BC coast and abroad. The general consensus is that there are many questions about marine mammals around their habitats, foraging, behaviours etc. that are unanswered, but we are fortunate to have some very brilliant minds working diligently to fill in some of the gaps. We were treated to presentations from Dr. Lance Barrett-Lennard, Graham Ellis, Dr. Andrew Trites and many of their graduate students. If you want to learn more about some of the very interesting projects please visit the University of British Columbia Marine Mammal Research Unit website at http://www.marinemammal.org

A hot topic was in regards to our beloved Orca whales. As most people know, these beautiful and intelligent creatures are under many pressures including pollution, lack of food availability, acoustic noise and more. In the United States Orcas have been designated as endangered. In Canada, the Southern Residents (San Juan Islands and Puget Sound area) have been designated as endangered and the Northern Residents (Johnstone Strait area) are only considered threatened (according to the Species at Risk Act, also known as SARA). SARA provides some protection, but it gets tricky when you start talking about what it actually takes to support the whales. At a most basic level animals, including ourselves, need air, water, food and a place to call home to survive. The same goes for the Orcas as well as all organisms on this earth.

One of the aims of the Species at Risk Act is to identify and protect areas that are considered critical habitat for the organisms in question. Identifying and protecting the critical habitat of marine mammals is a difficult task. First of all, many marine mammals migrate long distances and spend time in many different areas. Secondly their habitat, the ocean, is affected by the actions of people all around the world as ocean currents and waves help to spread contaminates and pollution with great efficiency. If you have been on our Nuchatlitz tour on the West Coast of Vancouver Island you have no doubt come across some beach garbage with Asian writing on it courtesy of the ocean currents. For this and many other reasons the implications for the governments can be huge if they enforce the requirements of the Species at Risk Act and actually take action to protect the critical habitat of Killer Whales.

The Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) is the government body responsible for administering the Species at Risk Act as it pertains to killer whales. It has been suggested that the DFO has not been fulfilling its obligations in regards to marine mammal critical habitat protection. Those monitoring the health and well-being of the Southern and Northern Resident Orca populations have decided that the whales are much too vulnerable to wait patiently for legislation to be enforced and that in fact DFO is not doing their job. This past fall a coalition of environmental groups, led by Ecojustice and joined by the David Suzuki Foundation, Raincoast Conservation Society, and Greenpeace Canada, among others, launched a lawsuit in an attempt to force action.

We are members of the North Island Marine Mammal Stewardship Association (NIMMSA), a group which closely monitors issues regarding whales and whale watching in the northern Vancouver Island region. As members we voted to donate $500 on behalf of NIMMSA to Ecojustice Canada to help fund the lawsuit and initiative for action. While a lawsuit is no-one’s first choice of action, Spirit of the West supports the lawsuit as this issue is much to pressing to stand by and idly watch the collapse of an entire ecosystem.

To read more about the lawsuit click here.

For more information on issues pertaining to our beautiful coast you can also check out the following websites

www.raincoast.org

www.saveoursalmon.ca

www.callingfromthecoast.com

www.ecojustice.ca

We hope that you are enjoying the winter weather and soon can get back out on the water.

Tuesday, June 17, 2008

Greening the world, one paddle stroke at a time!

This summer we are swinging into gear with a number of new initiatives that make kayaking on Vancouver Island greener then ever. Here at Spirit of the West, we get our kicks on brainstorming ways to green our business! Here’s what we’ve brewed up for the summer:

• Aside from being stylish and red, our new lifejackets are made with Gaia PVC-free foam: a friendly alternative to the traditional foam used in lifejackets. PVC is “among the EPA’s 20 most hazardous substances”, a known carcinogen threat and a CFC ozone depleting material. Phew! We can all float a little lighter, knowing that our flotation is healthy for us and for the earth!
• Also stylish, our new t-shirts are made with organic cotton and 50% of the profits go towards supporting education for children in countries where getting to school isn’t just a matter of getting on the bus. Free the Children is a non-profit run by children for children and is leading the way in empowering kids worldwide through innovative projects. Very cool!
• Breanne has been tending the garden and making sure that the tender organic veggies destined for consumption on kayak-trips, don’t end up in the bellies of local deer!
• Speaking of veggies, our latest step as a certified Carbon Neutral Business was to purchase a diesel van which we plan to convert to biodiesel in the fall. Running our van on veggie oil will significantly cut our carbon footprint, taking our commitment to minimizing our impact deeper.

Kayak to Save the Salmon!

The 1st Annual Fundraiser for the Quadra Island Salmon Enhancement Society (QISES) was a great success! We enjoyed donating a trip for two to Desolation Sound on one of our kayaking British Columbia tours to the live auction. The auction was exciting and the lucky winners will enjoy their trip even more knowing that each stroke they take is in support of Pacific Salmon. Breanne is also saving the salmon through seapersonship: she bid on and won a ½ day of sailing. Look out Heriot Bay!

Fresh faces for Summer!

Spirit of the West is happy to enjoy a pleasing combo of new and returning staff this year. Let’s introduce to one of our fresh faces for the summer:

Danielle:
Danielle is like a summer breeze: refreshing, sweet and comforting. Yes, comforting! You will be comforted by the cookies she lovingly bakes you and sends out on your Vancouver Island kayak tour. You will be comforted knowing that all the details of your menu are taken care of by her seasoned brain (as she manages to keep track of all the food for 58 trips!) You will be comforted knowing that she loves what she does and is happy all the while. Wow! Danielle is truly a treat in all senses of the word! We are happy to have her on the team this year.

Our two new guides Meredith and Robyn are fresh out of a year of studying and ready to spend the summer on the ocean. Meredith has been on the east coast studying anthropology at Dalhousie in Halifax. With several years experience as a guide, Meredith has paddled and sailed all up and down the coast. Robyn has just completed North Island College's Coastal Adventure Tourism Program and is now working towards a degree in coastal zones Resource Management. You will enjoy her upbeat energy and warmth!

Even the faces of our old-faithful returning staff are looking fresh after a winter of traveling, working elsewhere or, in some cases, awaiting kayak season with baited breath.

Meet two of our returning guides: Luke and Steve. Luke seems to know anyone one and everyone on the coast! A full-time Quadra resident, Luke is a friendly giant. Behind Steve’s easy-going nature and innocent smile, is one of Spirit of the West’s most experienced guides, a strong seaperson and a sneaky sense of humour! As a guest on one of Steve’s tours, you can be sure you’ll be taken care of, laughs included. When he’s not paddling, Steve is traveling the world, out for a sail in his home (a 30 foot boat) or composing on the piano.

At the helm of Spirit of the West, our leadership team is looking fine. Breanne’s face is smiling and relaxed because she is so organized and has all details sorted and ready for the summer. The systems are dialed, the hatches are covered, the PFDs are all in a row!
Rick’s face is fresh, if you look beneath the shaggy beard, after a winter of feeding the fire of his own passion for kayaking…scouting out trips in Patagonia and preparing for an upcoming expedition in Greenland!
J.D.’s face is happy because well, J.D. is always happy!

Friday, February 22, 2008

Spirit of the West goes Carbon Neutral : Press release Feb. 2008

Spirit of the West Adventures Goes Carbon Neutral!

Spirit of the West Adventures, based on Quadra Island, is proud to announce they have become a Carbon Neutral Certified Business. In conjunction with Planetair.ca, Spirit of the West Adventures examined the carbon and greenhouse gases (GHG) emitted as a result of their sea kayak operation. This analysis included calculating all GHG emitted from electricity and resources used at the Spirit of the West Adventures base as well as from all transportation methods used by the company including passenger vans, airplanes and water taxis.

Spirit of the West Adventures is a sea kayak company specializing in fun, safe and educational multi-day kayak adventures in the Vancouver Island area including Johnstone Strait, Desolation Sound and Nuchatlitz regions. Spirit of the West has guests come from around the world to join them for kayaking tours and to experience what the British Columbia coast has to offer including Killer Whales (orcas), humpback whales, bears, eagles and so much more.

In order to ‘offset’ the carbon emitted and counter the negative effects GHG has on the environment, Spirit of the West Adventures purchases offset credits. Planetair.ca ensures that the credits are invested in third party certified projects that replace GHG emitting energy sources with cleaner, greener sources around the world. There is also a large emphasis on energy conservation which helps to reduce GHG emissions. The emissions that Spirit of the West produces are balanced by the reductions achieved by the offset projects, leaving them with zero net emissions or Carbon Neutral. Examples of projects which are supported by business and individuals such as Spirit of the West Adventures include: micro hydro power generation in Indonesia, electricity from biomass and wind energy in India, improved cook stoves in Cambodia and generating power from waste water in South Africa.

Spirit of the West has also added a carbon calculator to their website which allows and encourages their guests to offset the emissions from flights and travel undertaken to reach their kayaking trip.

Offsetting harmful GHGs is only part of the solution to global warming. The most important thing that we can do to ensure a healthy climate is to cut back on emissions in the first place. This involves conservation and awareness of how our actions impact the health of the environment. Simple measures individuals can take to lessen their greenhouses gases emitted include switching to energy efficient appliances and light bulbs, turning off lights when you leave a room, driving less and supporting sustainability with all lifestyle choices and purchases. In addition to carbon offsetting, Spirit of the West continues to work to find creative ways to reduce their overall carbon output.

To learn more about Spirit of the West Adventures’ environmental commitment, including carbon offsetting, operational practices and membership in 1% for the Planet, check out their website at www.kayakingtours.com.

To learn more about carbon offsetting go to http://planetair.ca/modules/smartoffset/offset.php?formid=air&agency=kayakingtours&sel_lang=english.

My Photo
Name: Breanne, Rick and John
Location: Heriot Bay, BC, Canada

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Box 569, Heriot Bay, British Columbia
V0P-1H0 Canada

 


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