February 2009 - Wild B.C. & Alaska Eco-Cruises |
February News from Maple Leaf Adventures
Welcome to the new year!
We are eagerly watching as the first signs of spring appear in the islands of southern B.C.: flower buds, flirting birds, longer daylight.
It brings anticipation of the amazing seasons just around the corner, and the joy of exploring a natural world bursting with life. If you can make the time, we invite you to join us for a trip this year.
We hope you enjoy the information in this newsletter, from a fascinating piece about whale language, to the trips in our spring and summer schedule, and our recent recognition by National Geographic Adventure magazine.
This photo was taken on top of the Maritime Museum, where the Maple Leaf Adventures office is, in Victoria's Inner Harbour.
Kevin, Maureen and the Crew,
Maple Leaf Adventures
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By Paul Smith, First Mate on the Maple Leaf
This winter, on several cold morning walks from my home to Maple Leaf's winter berth on Victoria's Inner Harbor, I've enjoyed listening to the CBC Ideas broadcast of "Ocean Mind".
The two-part radio program, from the stellar "Ideas" series, details the latest research into whale intelligence, including some recent findings about the orcas on BC's coast.
This program is great food for thought for anyone that's heard whales vocalizing and wondered what type of communication they have with each other, or how they perceive their surroundings.
Fascinating stuff, and I'm sure it will increase your appreciation for our brainy friends beneath the waves. You can catch the whole show online at www.cbc.ca/ideas or click here to listen.
Bonus material - thanks to the whales:
Click here to hear humpback whales recorded at Carpenter Bay on a Haida Gwaii trip on the Maple Leaf
LARGE FILE! (16 MB)
Click here to hear orcas (the northern residents, A12s) recorded in Devastation Channel on a spring Great Bear Rainforest & Kitlope Supervoyage on the Maple Leaf.
LARGE FILE! (10 MB)
In this recording, you can hear the distinctive 2-note A-clan calls throughout, as well as some echolocation clicks and many other sounds.
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Wondering what a trip looks like? How about what the other guests look like ... or the ship and the places?
The Maple Leaf Adventures website is a huge resource for you, and has, among other things, a slide show of photos taken on every trip.
In keeping with our absolute requirements for authenticity, every photo in these shows was taken on a Maple Leaf Adventures trip, except for the arials.
Check out the slideshows for inspiriation!
To view them, click the link, then click the image to begin the show. It may take a moment to start.
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By Paul Smith, First Mate on the Maple Leaf
Digital photography has truly revolutionized the way we take photographs. Gone is the long wait between exposure and seeing the finished product. With modern digital cameras we can get instant confirmation that we've captured the picture we wanted.
My new mantra after recently switching from film to digital is 'film is cheap - shoot lots and delete later!' Carry a spare memory card and you'll never be out of 'film'. But how can we increase the number of 'keepers' and reduce the 'deletes'?
Most digital cameras today offer a head-spinning array of functions, modes, and menu options that seem to complicate, rather than simplify the process of taking pictures.
Here are eight tips to consider that may help you to increase your collection….
- Read the manual! Seriously! They're tedious and poorly written but they will also allow you to take full advantage of your camera's features. Don't forget to pack it when you travel.
- Try composing your pictures using the rule of thirds: divide your viewfinder into thirds horizontally and vertically (some cameras can do this on the rear LCD screen - see above) and place your subject at one of the intersecting points.
- Shoot wide and capture as much of the scene as you can. Try including someone in your frame for scale, or crouch down and include foreground detail.
- Activate your camera's image stabilizer. Many new cameras (and some SLR lenses) have built in stabilizers to reduce hand shake and make tripods a thing of the past.
- Take full advantage of your camera's potential and set it to shoot at full quality (highest resolution) by default. Remember you can reduce file sizes after you shoot but you can't do the reverse.
- Camera meters generally overexpose by a fair bit as a hedge against tricky lighting. I set my cameras to underexpose by two-thirds of a stop (-0.7 ev), and I find it greatly improves contrast and colour saturation.
- Anticipate movement of wildlife and understand your camera's shutter lag (the amount of time it takes to actually take the picture after you press the shutter). I love taking landscapes and I've become very good at anticipating the movements of mountains and trees!
- Get comfortable using your camera's other exposure modes (aperture, shutter, manual) and a new world of creative control will be available to you. If there is interest, I may cover these topics in subsequent newsletters.
Got camera questions? Feel free to send them to me at photo@MapleLeafAdventures.com
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Editor's note: Paul is a mariner, geographer and former park ranger and works with Maple Leaf as a First Mate. He is also an excellent photographer who is happy to share his knowledge with our guests on trips. So we asked him to send us the tips he gives out most frequently when people arrive on board with new cameras to document their adventure.
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The Hidden Gulf Islands, B.C. in Peak of Spring, Apr 8-13
It's hard to think of a better place to celebrate spring than the Gulf Islands, B.C. Spring comes early here and by April it's in full rush: carpets of wildflowers, new leaves like green flames, migrating seabirds and sea lions filled with herring. Explore the Gulf Islands most never get the chance to see.
5 nights, 6 days, $2050 CDN all inclusive
See trip info Ask about it Download Brochure
Briony Penn to Lead Art at Sea Drawing and Painting Holiday - April 15-20
Love to paint and draw? Want to improve your technique while cruising the hidden gems of the Gulf Islands National Park Reserve?
Join the crew of the Maple Leaf and well-known artist, writer and naturalist Briony Penn for a 5-night drawing and painting holiday in the Gulf Islands this spring.
5 nights, 6 days, $2050 CDN all inclusive
See trip info Ask about it Download Brochure
The Grand Adventure: Great Bear Rainforest and Kitlope Supervoyage, Apr 25-May 6
The ultimate B.C. coast adventure, this trip explores the Great Bear Rainforest from its southern islands to its deep fjords as spring hits the coast.
11 nights, 12 days, $5675 CDN all inclusive
See trip info Ask about it Download Brochure
Queen Charlotte Islands / Haida Gwaii, May 9-17, May 18-26
The Canadian Galapagos. These amazing, wildlife-rich islands on the continental shelf are on many people's "must visit" list. Home to the powerful Haida culture and site of the best original, remaining northwest coast village (UN World Heritage Site SGang Gwaay).
8 nights, 9 days, $4250 CDN all inclusive
See trip info Ask about it Download Brochure
Alaska Adventure, May 29-Jun 9, Jun 9-20
The ultimate southeast Alaska experience: calving glaciers, beautiful humpback whales, seabirds, sea otters, bears, fjords, and the wild west coast. Plus historic towns, natural hotsprings and the beauty of cruising through the grand rainforest islands.
11 nights, 12 days, $5850 CDN, all inclusive
See trip info Ask about it Download Brochure
Vancouver Island's Wild Side, Jun 24-30
If you're looking for a secret spot and bragging rights, this is the trip for you. Brooks Peninsula, Solandar Island, Kyuquot Sound ... the long sandy beaches, lush meadows the bears like, and west coast wildlife: puffins and sea otters. Join Capt. Smith for the place he explored and loved as a marine park ranger.
6 nights, 7 days, $3210 CDN, all inclusive
See trip info Ask about it Download Brochure
A special note to readers in the U.S. - The American dollar has surged in value against the Canadian dollar recently (which these prices are set in) and so the prices are about 20% less when converted to USD.
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Ask about a trip.
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The times of year when wildlife converge on the coast (spring and fall) are simply the best for natural history.
Here, resident orcas head slowly inland in coastal Alaska one evening. At times they'd swim over and check out the Maple Leaf, sitting quietly in the pass, as in this moment captured by Maureen Gordon, crew on the Maple Leaf -- and by the guests lined up along the rail. June 2008. Click image to enlarge.
Visit the Photo of the Month page to view all photos of the month since the last newsletter.
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National Geographic Adventure
The editors of the annual adventure travel ratings honour Maple Leaf Adventures as the 15th "Best Adventure Travel Company on Earth". They evaluated companies large and small from across the globe and shortlisted 192 for their "Best" list. See below for details of Maple Leaf's ranking.
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Boulevard Magazine
Writer Andrea Scott explores southeast Alaska on the Maple Leaf
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Montreal Gazette, Vancouver Sun, Edmonton Journal, Vancouver Province, Victoria Times-Colonist and more
The Great Bear Rainforest on Maple Leaf captivates writer Joseph Blake.
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The editors of National Geographic Adventure magazine just recognized the superb quality of the B.C. and Alaska natural world ... and the skill of our fantastic crew ... in their Adventure Travel Ratings.
Following an extensive evalutaion process that involved surveys of Maple Leaf guests, the magazine chose to rank us the #3 adventure cruise company on earth.
It's a tribute to National Geographic that this spectacular corner of the world received their attention, and that they included small companies in their rankings.
Indeed, many of the top adventure travel companies are small ... likely because nature/adventure travelers tend to seek the things that come naturally to small, well-run companies: the personal touch, experiential trips with up-close interactions, authenticity and spontenaeity, attention to detail and local expertise.
Click the image to view the full rating from National Geographic Adventure.
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New Book from Briony Penn
Between running for office in a recent federal election, conducting aerial ecological surveys, writing for numerous magazines, and spending time aboard the Maple Leaf as a naturalist, Briony Penn has found time to author a new book on Canadian geography for children! For more information on The Kids Book of Canadian Geography visit the publisher's website where you can buy it online.
Adrift with Alison Watt
Alison Watt, another of our multi-talented naturalists has embarked on a life-time dream trip sailing to the far horizon and beyond with her husband Kim on their sailboat. You can follow their adventures aboard Circadia at their blog: alisonwatt.blogspot.com.
It is a beautiful example of Alison's great writing, accompanied by her watercolours.  Perhaps one day these short reflections and meditations will be published in hardcopy! For now, it's a great chance to feel some of those aha! moments where you discover someone has articulated something you've half realized, too.
Ethnobotany from Andy MacKinnon and Fiona Chambers
We are pleased to announce that Fiona Chambers, author, university professor, ethnobotanist, and a long-time friend of Maple Leaf Adventures, will be joining the crew as a naturalist this year for a 'Spring Fling' in the Gulf Islands.
Fiona and Andy Mackinnon, another of our talented on-board naturalists, have recently contributed to the forthcoming Edible and Medicinal Plants of Canada by Lone Pine Publishing. Congratulations Fiona and Andy - we look forward to adding a copy to the Maple Leaf's growing library!
Annual Maple Leaf Adventures Crew Awards
At Maple Leaf's recent annual celebration for our great crew, we handed out some fun awards. This year's winners were:
- All Systems Go Award - Capt. James Warburton
- Sink or Swim Award - Chef Steve Letts
- Calm Under Pressure Award - Chef Drew Kennedy
- Shipwright Award - First Mate Paul Smith
- Song/Creative Act of the Year Award - Naturalist Sherry Kirkvold and the guests of the Alaska 2 trip
Congratulations to you all!
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Icebreaker Merino Wool -- Amazing clothing for west coast conditions
Merino wool is one of our favourite materials for outdoor clothing. The Maple Leaf crew swear by it, as do many of our guests.
We asked Brian Henry, owner of the fabulous Ocean River Sports in Victoria, B.C., to share some information about it.
Natural, durable, stylish and extremely comfortable, Merino Wool is best material fabric to wear as the layering system under your rain or wind shell.
When Icebreaker first introduced their Merino wool clothing to the outdoor market, it took off like a storm and has become the choice for the modern outdoors person. It feels great against your skin, retains warmth even when wet and, maybe best, does not retain any odors, so you can wear it over and over again.
Merino wool, which comes from merino sheep, is incredibly fine, much finer than traditional wool and is therefore not scratchy. Each fibre "breathes" as well as the cloth itself, which lets moisture evaporate from your skin. So not only is it warm and smooth, it's also comfortable to wear.
One of the world's greatest sailors, The late Sir Peter Blake was an early user of Icebreaker said, "Icebreaker is superior in every way to anything I've ever worn. I wore it for 40 days and 40 nights and didn't itch or get whiffy."
Icebreaker is available at Ocean River Sports in Victoria at 1824 Store St., or online at www.oceanriver.com.
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All photos in this newsletter were taken by Maple Leaf guests or crew, except the group photo by Debra Brash (Times Colonist).
Photo credits are:
- Newsletter banner: Brooks Peninsula beach, Vancouver Island, on the "Wild Side" trip, by Kevin Smith
- Newsletter heading: Sailing Maple Leaf in the southern Great Bear Rainforest, late September 2008, by Paul Smith
- James Warburton, Paul Smith, Maureen Gordon, Kevin Smith on top of Victoria's Maritime Museum, by Debra Brash Victoria Times Colonist
- Orca checking out Maple Leaf and her guests in Alaska, by Maureen Gordon
- Gulf Islands, ariel shot, by Kevin Smith
- Briony Penn drawing, by Kevin Smith
- Maple Leaf in the Gardner Canal, longest fjord on the coast, by Kevin Smith
- Bald eagle on an iceberg, Alaska, by Kevin Smith
- The wild Brooks Peninsula and one of its beaches, Vancouver Island, by Kevin Smith
- Spirit bear in slide show, Great Bear Rainforest, by Kevin Smith
- Paul Smith by Kevin Smith
- Koona pole, Haida Gwaii, by Paul Smith
- Indian paintbrush flower and landscape, Alaska, by Paul Smith
- River rapids, Great Bear Rainforest, by Paul Smith
- Orca, Alaska, by Kevin Smith
- Maureen in merino wool, Gulf Islands, by Kevin Smith
- Guests with cameras, Alaska, by Kevin Smith
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Thanks for reading! Feel free to reach us anytime - we love hearing from you!
Fair winds and following seas,
- The Maple Leaf Adventures Crew
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