Lost in the Mist

Florencia Bay, or Wreck Beach as it is also known, is one of our favorite Pac Rim beaches. Yesterday, we happened to go at a very low tide (0.6m) and there was more exposed beach than we have ever seen there before. Although the day was sunny and clear, off shore there was a dense fog bank that stretched the entire length of the horizon. On clear, sunny days, we sometimes hear the fog horns from home, and wonder why, but today the reason was graphically demonstrated... I wouldn't not have wanted to be out in a boat!

We decided to head south this time, crossing the stream that bisects the beach not far from the northern trailhead. Usually, one has to wade this creek as it is too deep to walk through with hiking boots on, but because the tide was so low, I was able to ford it in the 'delta' by hopping across the many smaller rivulets close to the surf. Once across, and watched by an eagle perched high above the bank of the creek, we set off down the beach to explore.

The ocean had disgorged a starling amount of detritus in places: huge masses of kelp and other sea greens. At one point, a metres-long strand of kelp, a small anchoring rock at one end and at the other, a floatation bladder, grinned at us.

Curiously, in one smallish area, we found hundreds of pieces of Dungeoness crab shells, as if a great undersea banquet had taken place just offshore and the waiters had swept the remains up onto the beach during cleanup. In the same area, we also saw three medium-sized Sunflower Stars. This fellow below was on his back, so I turned him over in anticipation of the rising tide.

Walking along near the waterline, I am always fascinated to see myriad tiny trails in the wet sand, and with the sun at an oblique angle, they appear as random etchings describing routes with seemingly no purpose or destination.

I am also enchanted by the way the water from the retreating waves and from the fresh water leaching out from the water table form tiny channels and courses in the sand. They remind me of looking down at the landscape from a plane, high in the sky soaring over epic river valleys and flood plains.

 

 

 

The way the light hits the wet sand, throwing off brilliant highlights, looks like you're flying over an island archipelago, shimmering in the sun.

 

The farther we walked, the closer we got to the fog, and soon found ourselves enveloped in a soft grey cocoon, with glimpses of the trees at the back of the beach and the sound of the waves on the other side, the sea itself lost in the opacity.

 

As we plodded on, we became totally surrounded, as if walking through a giant cotton ball. Visibility dropped to just metres.

Every now and then, some small feature on the sand would present itself out of the obscurity and you would reassert that fact you did indeed have a visual sense.

Finally, since there was literally nothing to see any more, we turned and headed back into the realm of the senses.

As is my wont, I did the return trip near the back of the beach in order to get a different viewpoint, and at one place, noticed what I though might be a seal lying on the sand. I was approaching from its back, and as I got nearer, I realized it was not in fact a seal, but a dead Sea Otter about a metre long. Lying outstretched on its back, it was difficult to see what might have been the cause of death, although it looked as if the upper side of its muzzle was bloodied. I didn't want to disturb it as it had already attracted flies and was beginning to smell. What a shame that the very first otter I've seen here has to be a dead one. They are such beautiful and enchanting animals.

By the time we once again reached the stream, the tide was too high for me to do the 'delta hop', and I had to strip off my boots and socks and wade. This is not pleasant for me as I have peripheral neuropathy which renders my feet mostly numb, but enigmatically, remarkable sensitive, so walking on the stones is extremely painful. I did, however, manage to get across with nothing worse than a wet bottom from sitting on the wet sand to put my shoes back on.

All in all, a splendid experience here on the edge!