Exploring at Flores Island

September 10-15, 2022

We chose to remain anchored in God’s Pocket for a few days after we were finished with my appointments in Tofino.  Each morning we awoke in the sunshine, and each morning a large fog bank loomed over the more outer coast.  We could see it from our anchorage, and the current conditions in Tofino were usually cool with mist or drizzle.  We enjoyed our protected, sunny anchorage and even went swimming off of our swim grid.  Each day we checked the wind forecasts for the whole coast down to Mexico, and as it looked like a potential weather window could be approaching we moved anchorages back to Matilda Inlet on Flores Island.  In order to leave God’s Pocket we had to time the tides and currents, so it was not an ideal place to leave from for Mexico, as we wanted to be able to leave in the morning without having to time the currents.   

Back out at Matilda Inlet we had more exploring we could do, and many trails and beaches to walk on.  It was a nice place to wait for our departure date. 

On one lovely day we headed out early and made our way to the beach in Gibson Marine Park. Walking to the end of the beach we took a connector trail to a second beach, and from there, onto a trail that would take us into Flores Island Park and the many beaches along the shoreline.   

As we were walking along the second beach, before taking the trail into the forest, we noticed several loons. 

At first we thought it was a family, but soon we realized that there were actually six loons.  We thought it was curious to see that many loons together as we usually only see two to four depending on if a couple had one or two young.   

The trail through the forest over to Flores Island Park was a beautifully maintained trail that had clearly been brushed out quite recently.  The team that had done the work had done a very good job and had cut back quite far, presumably realizing that it would not be brushed clear for another several years.  The footpath part of the trail was narrow and winding, but they had brushed the Salal and other higher plants back several feet on either side. 

We walked past many massive old-growth cedar trees towering up into the forest canopy.  After crossing a stream we took the left-hand fork in the trail and followed the stream out to the shoreline. 

Immediately a sandy beach welcomed us, and since it was low tide at the time we got to see the expanse of sand that would have been covered on a high tide.  We followed the trail just inside the forest line along the rugged, rocky shoreline further into Flores Island Park, and we came to an old cabin. 

Originally built in 1976 the cabin has been maintained by a man from Victoria since 1989.   

Continuing along the trail we came out to the first of the large expansive beaches within the park, and we stopped here for a mid-morning snack.  When a small piece from our apple fell on the ground we noticed that the beach flies slowly moved in until they were completely covering the piece.  If we moved a leg they would instantly fly and scatter, only to return moments later, moving in one by one until the piece of apple was covered once again.  By the time we were finished eating our apple, noticeable chunks were missing from the small piece that had fallen on the sand.  We left the flies with the core, and it was quickly blanketed in a constantly moving cover of little beach flies.   

We made our way along, beach after beach, and each one was different from the other.  Some had sand dunes above the shore with flowering grassy plants, others were narrower and rockier with a mixture of pebbles and sand that extended up to the tree line.  Some of the beaches were open to the breaking swells from the ocean, while others had quiet, protected shores due to the protection from the many scattered little islands and islets just off shore.   

On the last beach in a long line of beaches we spotted another cabin just up in the trees. 

It was a very interesting area because it had clearly been cultivated for many years.  There were many large plants growing there that were obviously not native species and yet they were thriving and in full bloom.  There was a small green house that appeared to have been used, perhaps this past spring, although it was currently full of dead vines and spider webs.  

The house itself was beautiful; built around the trunk of a massive old spruce tree, with the walls and roof made of large cedar shakes.  It had many windows, and although we did not go inside, it looked lovely; fully furnished, it had a large wood-burning fireplace, couches, beds, rugs, wall decorations, and artwork. 

It was a wonderful little place in a beautiful location. There was also an area outside that was rigged with a block and tackle, presumably used for pulling up a boat out of harms way from storms.   

From there we took the last trail in the park, which took us across to the last beach at Cow Bay.  It was the largest beach of them all, long and wide with rolling dunes. 

All along this beach, and also on several of the other beaches, we saw wolf tracks in the sand.  At the far end of the beach we found evidence of camp spots, probably from kayakers.  What a gorgeous park. 

We made our way back, taking the more direct routes as we had taken our time exploring on the way out.  By the time we made it back to the second beach in Gibson Marine Park it was early evening.  We stopped here for a small cooking fire and roasted hot dogs for dinner.   

Sitting by our fire and looking out on the bay, we heard a loon call from the centre of the bay.  We looked, and saw a small group of loons, maybe the six that we had seen earlier.  The call was answered from one side of the bay, and then from the other.  Within fifteen minutes, loons from all over the bay had gathered with the central group. 

We counted 28 loons and potentially there were more as they were taking turns diving and coming back up.  Wow, 28 loons all gathered together, now that’s something we had never seen before.  I wondered if they were gathering for migration, or if the population in this area was that large and if they were more social than other loons.  The young loons appeared to be playing, diving together and then popping up and chasing each other, while the adults were preening themselves.  It was very neat to see.   

As we sat, enjoying the beauty around us, we were also watching four little gulls that were feeding at the water's edge.  We noticed a behaviour that we had never seen in gulls before.  As a wave came in the gulls would stand at or above knee height and they would stomp their feet; first one foot and then the other, like a person in soft sand.  And just like a person, they would loosen the sand around their feet and start to settle into it.  By the time the wave went back out they were at least knee deep in the sand and seemingly had also managed to stir up many bugs because they would peck all around themselves before stepping up and out of the sand and then repeating the process all over again with the next wave. 

After dinner we made our way back along the last beach and across the trail to our bay.  As the light was fading we had a lovely dip in the tepid spring pool, and felt quite tired, but also refreshed as we rowed out to our floating home. 

We had walked 21kms, most of which had been on sand.  It had been a beautiful day of exploring.