Goldstream Provincial Park on Vancouver Island

Just 17 kilometers from downtown Victoria, Goldstream Provincial Park lies amid the splendour of a spectacular old-growth temperate rain forest.

Besides being a beautiful day trip within a short distance from downtown Victoria, from October through December you can see a world class salmon-spawning stream with thousands of Salmon returning. And quite literally, within arm's length. During this period of the year, the Goldstream River is the scene of one of nature's spectacles as chum, coho and chinook salmon enter the river via Finlayson Arm from the Pacific Ocean. Three to four years previously, these same salmon were born here before traveling to the sea to grow and mature. Their return to spawn and die in their ancestral spawning beds is fascinating.

It doesn't stop there. During this amazing time of year you can visit the park and it's always-changing Visitor Centre. The centre is named after Freeman King, an early naturalist who probably reached more children than any other naturalist on Vancouver Island. The centre is at the mouth of the river, overlooking the Goldstream estuary, nestled among giant black cottonwoods and red alder trees.

If you are ever in Victoria and have a couple of hours to enjoy something wonderful, visit Goldstream Park

Ecotourism is not just a marketing catch-phrase.

Ecotourism is not just a marketing catch-phrase. It is a term used to describe ethical tourism that focuses on appreciation and preservation of a country's flora, fauna, ecosystems and culture.

The basic idea behind ecotourism is that visitors to a place can contribute to the environment and support the people who live in that environment. If the local people can make a living from tourism, then there is less need to burn off the forest for food or hunt endangered animals for the price of their skins.

Ecotourist friendly companies work with local guides through their resorts and consciously contribute to the local economy, environment and community in each country in which they operate. Your tourist dollars have a tangible influence in saving the environment, providing jobs, and raising environmental standards.

Ecotourism can only work if it is supported by wildlife and nature lovers like you, who care about the environment. To help you better enjoy and contribute to the environment of the countries you visit, there are several things you can do.

As a traveler to the rainforest you will see evidence of massive deforestation due mostly to growing bananas and grazing cows for exportation. The best way you can help is to support sustainable environmental growing practices when you buy these products. Buy locally grown, organic and sustainable agricultural products that do not damage irreplacable old-growth
rainforest ecosystems.

Nesting sea turtles should be observed only with the assistance of a trained guide. Photograpers should keep their distance.

Travel to rainforest areas are best undertaken in the company of trained and experienced local guides (some areas permit only guided tours for the protection of both habitat and visitors). If you do decide to proceed without such a guide, take the time to learn about the area and how to ensure that you do not inadvertently stray too close to important wildlife habitats.

Sailing in the British Virgin Islands

Sailing and diving in the British Virgin Islands with Steuart and Fran aboard Two if by Sea was our best trip ever... from the moment we landed to being picked up by our friends, Steuart and Fran and whisked away to Two if by Sea, the trip was perfect.

The first morning we headed off for The Chimneys. And what a re-introduction to diving it was.

We anchored the boat at the Ocean's Edge and slowly entered the water to descend to forty-five feet and head towards a spectacular site called The Chimneys which is, as you guessed it, a chimney-like vent which starts at forty-five feet in a large cavern and ends at the surface as you make you way through a small but comfortable opening ten feet below the surface. The light pierces it and forms a spectacular spotlight effect when you are at the base of the vent. Just Wonderful.

After snorkeling around a while, we also discovered that you could swim through the rocky outcrops above the water and within one of them was a hollow area which was just great as well. A deep pool surrounded by rock and coral engulfs you while inside, but you had better be a fairly strong and confident swimmer.

Later, we lifted anchor and headed off towards The Bitter End Yacht club and anchored off a small island just west of the club for the night.

The next morning, we set sail around the tip of the island and while we had plans to head to Anegeda, we chose to tack off towards the Baths on Virgin Gorda.

The Baths are truly amazing. Boulders the size of apartment buildings are leaned up against each other and in the center form a walkway which is incredible as you wander your way through 100 ton boulders perched inches above your head.

Our next stop was the world famous Wreck of The Rhone. Widely regarded as one of the best wreck dives in the Caribbean, the two halves can be dived separately. The Bow lies in 60 ft - 90 feet - divers can swim inside the ships hold and see coral encrustations along with many fish. Diving inside a wreck that has great ambient light is always fun On our first dive, Yim and Fran stayed above the wreck and followed our bubbles through the dive.

Lobsters and crabs apparently often hide inside the wreck. And I mean crabs. I found one that had at least a four foot span.

Outside of the wreck, the foremast and crows nest can be seen along with the boilers, condenser, wrenches and winch.

The stern, often done as the second dive (15 ft-60 ft), shelters lobsters and octopus hiding in the metal work of the boiler gear box housing, the rudder and the propeller. Many fish varieties including Barracuda, Southern Stingrays, Eagle Rays and Turtles live in this National Park area.

We swam through the open area beside the propeller... it's a great spot to boost a divers confidence in safe conditions.

Read more on www.oceansedge.com

Bottom Trawling

This spectacular squid is discarded bycatch on a Spanish bottom trawler.

Ancient forests in danger ... deep under the ocean. Biologists estimate that somewhere between 500,000 and 5,000,000 marine species have yet to be discovered. But many of these species are in serious danger from the world's most destructive fishing practice - bottom trawling This is truly the last undiscovered wilderness left on the planet.

The deep ocean floor has its own mountains, called seamounts. They rise at least 1,000 metres above the surrounding seafloor. Amazingly, the Earth's longest mountain range is not on land but under the sea - the Mid-Oceanic ridge system, which winds around the globe from the Arctic Ocean to the Atlantic. It is four times longer than the Andes, Rockies, and Himalayas combined!

Seamounts are uniquely rich areas of biodiversity. Think colourful forests of attached cold water corals, soft seapens, sponges and seawhips, sea spiders and lobster-like crustaceans. Many seamount-dwelling species are not found anywhere else, and it is believed that some are confined to only one or two individual seamounts!

Number 1 Threat: Bottom Trawling

Unfortunately, the commercial fishing industry has gotten to know about the rich pickings that exist in deep waters. The industry has extended its unsustainable fishing practices into previously unexploited deep waters and seamounts using a technique called bottom trawling.

Bottom trawling involves dragging huge, heavy nets along the sea floor. Large metal plates and rubber wheels attached to these nets move along the bottom and crush nearly everything in their path. All evidence indicates that deep water life forms are very slow to recover from such damage, taking decades to hundreds of years - if they recover at all.

If allowed to continue, the bottom trawlers of the high seas will destroy deep sea species, before we have even discovered much of what is out there. Think of it as driving a huge bulldozer through an unexplored, lush and richly populated forest and being left with a flat, featureless desert. It's like blowing up Mars before we get there.