Barkley Sound offers other awesome sights. Harbor seals pop their heads out of the water to scan the surface for killer whales. Often they become lunch for the magnificent black and white creatures.
During the spring, this area is visited by hundreds of people hoping to catch a glimpse of the pacific gray whale. Pacific Rim National Park is the halfway point where these animals rest and feed while traveling between their summer home in the Arctic Ocean and their winter calving ground off the shores of Mexico. A small number of these creatures stay in the area all summer. They join southbound pods in the fall.
There are over two hundred and fifty species of birds in Pacific Rim National Park. Half of these are water birds. Plovers and sandpipers search the beach and tide pools for meals of shellfish. Gulls and diving ducks feed on spawning herring in spring. Bald eagles soar in the heavens above the park, scanning the area for crabs, fish, seal and sea lion carcasses. It’s an awesome sight to watch one of these birds plunge out of the sky, grasp a fish in his talons and mount high into the sky.
If you are looking for the ultimate outdoor experience, I encourage you to visit Pacific Rim National Park. Long Beach offers fishing, scuba diving, hiking; nature walks and whale watching. It’s a terrific spot for the young and the young at heart to get in tune with nature.
Some areas of the park are accessible by boat only. These offer anchorage for large vessels and the inner channels of the island are great for canoes and kayaks.
The park also offers excellent camping facilities though some areas are restricted to a seven-day stay. Visitor centers can be found within the park’s boundaries. This is an excellent vacation spot for the whole family. Enjoy!