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between islands to be sheltered from it . As my expedition was based around wild camping , I could alter my route for the day depending on the weather ; this allowed me to stay out of the wind .
BLACK BEARS One of the first questions people ask me about the trip is not about seeing the orca but about bears . It is true that the area to the east of Vancouver Island on BC ' s mainland is famous for grizzly bears , but it is very rare for them to venture out into the island archipelago or onto Vancouver Island itself . But it is crucial to be bear aware . Black bears are common on Vancouver Island . I spotted my first within an hour of leaving Telegraph Cove , turning over seaweed on the strand line of a beach , looking for food .
On the evening I camped on Flower Island , I spotted a black bear swim from one of the neighbouring islands onto the one I was camped on . I then had the choice to pack up and leave for another campsite or stay and try to scare the bear off . The local guides I had spoken to said that the bears were not interested in people ; they were looking for food . Many of the small bushes had berries this late in the season , which the bears were looking for . I chose to stay on the island and , using the age-old techniques of shouting loudly and madly banging pan lids together for ten minutes , prompted the bear to swim off back to the island it had come from . Panic over !
I was carrying bear spray in case of encounters while camping , but this would have been a last resort . I was careful about packing my food away each evening into the hatches of my sea kayak , so it was off my campsite .
This reduced the attractiveness of my camp to any hungry bear .
In the main channel of Blackfish Sound and the Johnstone Strait , there were several large cruise liners on the ' Inside Passage ' route ; these passed through in the late afternoon . I was always mindful of spotting these huge ships later in the day , so I had plenty of time to avoid them .
There are designated camping spots around the islands . I stuck to these sites for my trip ; however , they did not all have fresh water . I had been warned about this and carried 10 litres of fresh water , which I kept topped up from the rivers I passed on the trip . Some islands did not have landing spots , but the ones designated for camping had pebble or white sandy beaches , which made for easy landings . Old Growth Forest surrounded the camp spots on Vancouver Island itself .
RAINFORESTS These temperate rainforests are dense damp woodlands dominated by pine and spruce trees with many eerie mosses and lichens hanging from their branches . The forests came down to the strand line of the beaches , so for camping spots , it was a choice between camping in the forest where it was going to be damp and cold or on the beach where it was dry , but there was the chance the tide might inundate my tent .
The mountain scenery was spectacular throughout my expedition , with forest cover all around . The wildlife was exceptional , and I never imagined seeing so many humpback whales and orcas . I am looking forward to returning to the area in 2023 for more exploration .