Point Holmes is well worth checking out at low tide

 By Keith and Heather Nicol

     We like to head down to the Point Holmes shoreline of Comox when there is a very  low tide since it is one of the few places we know of locally that has small tide pools and exposed bedrock which can hide sea stars and other organisms. It is also easy to access from the parking area at Point Holmes which is on Lazo Road on the Comox Peninsula. On Monday August 10 low tide was just 0.6 meters  at 10  am so it was ideally timed. We like to get down to this area about 30 minutes before the low tide so that we can do some exploring knowing that the tide won’t start rising for awhile.

 

   We were rewarded with sitings of various sea stars including the purple sea star which can be easily found in this area clinging to clefts in the rock and in the tide pools. We also saw a sea cucumber which was very interesting as it slowly made its way across a tide pool. We don’t usually see these creatures so this was a bonus. We also saw several leather sea star which is another species we don’t many of in this area. If you sit and watch the goings on in a tide pool you can often see hermit crabs that use discarded shells as hiding places.  You know that the shell is being occupied by a hermit crab since all of a sudden the shell starts to move.

                                                       A sea cucumber is a small tide pool 

 

 

 We also saw families in this area exploring the tide pools and it is a great spot to for just about all ages. Be aware that the rocks in this area can be very slippery with sea weed so walk very carefully. I also use a kneeling pad to get down to take pictures of the sea stars and other organisms in the tide pools. The tides will be fairly low over the next few days so check the tide tables and check out Point Holmes. 

  

Lots to see while sea kayaking at Point Holmes

 

by Keith and Heather Nicol

    Sea kayaks are great vessels for observing wildlife from seals to whales and they are also ideal for observing shorebirds, ducks and other birds. One of our favourite places to paddle is at Point Holmes since it offers ready access to scenic paddling and a variety of shorelines from sandy beaches to rocky headlands. With the sunny, warm weather of late we have been sea kayaking on a few occasions and our most recent outing to Pt Holmes was on August 7 and we weren’t disappointed. We almost always head around Cape Lazo toward Kye Bay since this is where you tend to get the best bird and marine mammal sitings.

                                                                                 Heading toward Cape Lazo

 We saw lots of Bonaparte's gulls which we love seeing since they are one of the smaller gulls and often let us paddle quite close to them. There were also a large number of harlequin ducks in the rocky area around Cape Lazo and of course loads of gulls. 

                                              Harlequin Ducks on a rock near Cape Lazo

We went a tide of around 4 meters which means there are fewer rocks exposed for seals to haul out on but we did see several seals and 2 swam underneath our kayaks!! nother bonus of paddling at Point Holmes is the fact that the boat launch has a web cam that lets you see what the tide and wave conditions are along the shore. It can be viewed at: http://www.pointholmesrecreation.ca/rampcam/. It is always interesting to see the variety of birds and other wildlife in this area and we look forward to our next kayak trip to Point Holmes. Be sure to put your money in the box at the boat launch to help maintain this great facility.

Nautical days in Comox is a don't miss event

 by Keith and Heather Nicol

Nautical days has been and gone but we have had visitors so this post is a few days late.  So the main purpose of this blog is to congratulate the organizers for putting on such a family friendly event. Although we have been in the Comox Valley for a few years we have not often attended for one reason or another-- usually we have been away visiting in Vancouver or Victoria for the long weekend. But this year we had visitors here so we took it in on Monday , August 3. We loved the setting along the water and we got to get our Irish Music fix on the Sail Stage with Mary Murphy's band. Also fun was the build, bail and sail event ...some of the boats made in a short time were very creative. And I mentioned earlier it is a family friendly event with bouncy castles, the water park and play ground right on site. Check it out next year if you missed it this year. And the best part is it is all FREE!!

Comox Dam trails now reopened

by Keith and Heather Nicol

BC Hydro has just reopened some trails that they have been working on which is great news for people that like to hike and bike the trails from Nymph Falls to Comox Dam Recreation Area and back to the Comox Valley Water Treatment Plant (CVWTP) on the north side of the Puntledge River. They have been mainly replacing the bridges and boardwalk areas with heavy duty cedar and it looks great. Those bridges should last for decades! We just did a bike loop around this area on July 30 which included starting at the Water Treatment Plant and biking the trails to Comox Dam bridge and then biking the trails to Nymph Falls parking area and back along mostly the same route . The trails are very scenic since they follow the river for the most part. The trails are well marked but there are some forks that you will encounter. But at most trail junctions there are finger boards telling you the name of the trail so you should not get lost . You can always use apps like Alltrails if in doubt. To get to the CVWTP simply put the full name in google maps and it will direct you there. 

                                                   A pull out at " Palm Beach " on the Puntledge River 

                                                           Steve riding over one the new sturdy bridges 

                                               The sign post at the trail head at the Water Treatment Plant