Whale watching in Vancouver
Having loved whales and dolphins since childhood, whale watching in Canada was a ‘must-do’ for me. There was no way I could pass through Vancouver without going whale watching so, having identified ‘whale season’ (May to October), I planned my trip and started to get excited. As a teenager I used to ‘adopt’ orcas through whale and dolphin charities, and over the years have often supported conservation efforts for whales, sharks and other marine wildlife, with my support for educating people about protecting these creatures only increasing during my years working as a dive instructor. As my trip to Canada approached, seeing these gentle giants up close in their natural…
Black Bear watching in Whistler
Great news for anyone wanting to see bears! Porridge and picnics aside, if you go down to the woods around Whistler, it should come as little surprise if you meet a bear. A population of 50 – 70 Black Bears live in the Whistler region and there is also the possibility of running into Grizzly Bears, making Whistler an excellent spot for a little bear watching. Bears are very much locals around this neck of the woods. The town rubbish bins are ‘bear-proof’ requiring users to pull a handle to open the bin. There are also warning signs explaining to conceal food smells, avoid attracting bears, and even how to…
Come to Australia…and get Killed!
This afternoon I had my first unplanned encounter with one of the most notorious and widely feared Australian creatures: an Australian spider. I was hanging out the laundry: hang, peg, hang, peg, as you do, when out of the corner of my eye I spotted a glistening spider’s web at the end of the washing line. I froze and scanned my surrounding area. To my horror it’s proprietor was lurking at the end of the line, watching me, imagining my exotic tastie and about to bite me and kill me…maybe. This didn’t sound much fun to me, so although he didn’t actually look like one of the nasties, I hung…
